cctv release after bag snatches

9 June 2010, 15:53 | Updated: 9 June 2010, 16:12

Gloucestershire Police are urging shoppers to keep an eye on their handbags following two incidents in supermarket car parks.

The most recent incident happened at 4.30pm on Monday June 7 in the car park of the Morrisons supermarket on Ashchurch Road in Tewkesbury.

A female shopper put her shopping and her handbag in the boot of her car before returning her trolley. As she did this a man stopped her and asked her for directions. She offered him advice but when she returned to her car her purse had been stolen from her handbag.  

Police have also released a CCTV image of a woman they would like to speak to in connection to a similar incident in Quedgeley earlier this year.

The incident happened between 10.55am and 11.15am on Tuesday February 3.

An 81-year-old woman had been shopping in Tesco on the Bristol Road in Quedgeley , when she returned to her she put her handbag in the passenger side footwell before being asked by a woman stood by the car behind hers, asking for directions. The victim walked over to the woman and gave her directions. When she returned to her car she discovered that her credit card had been stolen from her handbag.

In both instances it’s thought that the victims had purposefully been distracted whilst a second offender stole the items from their handbags. The crimes are being thoroughly investigated and officers are eager to hear from anyone who recognises the woman in the CCTV images.

Anyone who recognises this woman or has any information about either incident is asked to contact Gloucestershire Constabulary on 0845 090 1234 quoting incident number 125 February 23. Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.