POLICE are urging shoppers to look after their purses following thefts by two women. Pc Sarah Kedge said Alton has experienced a spate of purse snatches over the festive period – around six in the run-up to Christmas and five in just one day on Thursday, December 27. The perpetrators, caught on CCTV in the Co-op in Alton High Street, are of eastern European origin. One is aged 18 to 23 with long, fair hair, possibly with blonde highlights, which is usually tied back in a pony tail. She is seen here wearing dark clothes but has also been reported as wearing tracksuit type pants with a white stripe down the side. In this picture she appears to be wearing an earpiece – something like a bluetooth hands-free kit. Her accomplice is thought to be in her early 20s with shoulder-length black hair and of smart appearance – well dressed and, in this picture, wearing slim-fitting jeans. The police say that while the early thefts targeted senior citizens, often pushing shopping trolleys, more recent incidents have targeted mums with pushchairs. The technique appears to be to follow the victim into a shop – charity shops, Boots, Woolworth, the Co-op, Sainsbury's and High Street outlets have all been used – and to lift purses out of bags, withdrawing the contents and immediately disposing of the purse. Pc Kedge says that several purses have been found tucked behind books and into corners in charity shops. Police are advising people to make sure their bags are zipped up and carried or safely concealed. They should not be slung over the handles of a shopping trolley or pushchair. They are appealing to people to come forward with information, and to bring in any empty purses that might be found which could be used to provide forensic evidence. In addition, Police Community Support Officers have been handing out special tags that can be attached to a purse and to the inside of a bag so that lifting the purse is impossible without alerting the owner. The tags can be acquired from charity shops, PCSOs or Alton Police Station. This duo is thought to have been responsible for similar thefts in Petersfield and Fleet. If you are able to help police with their enquiries or for further information contact Pc Sarah Kedge on 0845 045 4545 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
