Wiltshire Police are appealing for information regarding two incidents which occurred on Tuesday 29th October at the Morrisons stores in Warminster and Westbury.
At approximately 12.00noon in the Warminster store, a wallet was stolen from a shopping trolley. The grey wallet contained a bus pass, bank cards and around £50.
Shortly before 1.00pm in the Westbury branch a similar offence occurred whereby a red leather purse was taken from a shopping bag. The victim had left the bag hanging on a shopping trolley. The purse contained approximately £40 cash and bank cards.
Inspector Alan Webb said, “These offenders often pick busy shops to target people. They look for easy opportunities, such as bags left unattended or left open in trolleys whilst the shopper is distracted.
“I would like to take this opportunity to remind people to never leave their bag unattended and keep purses hidden away in their handbags, preferably in a zipped pocket. Never carry large amounts of cash, or lots of cards that you don’t regularly use, and never carry your pin number in your purse, or give it to anyone over the phone.
“If you do see anything suspicious or have been a victim, we encourage people to contact us immediately, the quicker the information reaches us, the more chance we have of catching the offender and stopping other people from becoming a victim.”
Remember to: • Never carry large amounts of money • Always secure your bag • Make sure your purse and mobile are at the bottom of the bag or in a secure compartment • If using a backpack, make sure your valuables are in the main part of the bag and it is zipped up • Carry bags across your body or in front of you • Never, ever, give your pin number to anyone over the phone or in person; banks will not ask for this information, the only person who needs the number is you.
Anyone who has information is asked to contact the Warminster/Westbury Neighbourhood Policing Team via 101.
