Cruel thieves target 94 year old

11:10am Friday 4th July 2008

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A 94-YEAR-OLD Melksham woman has spoken out after becoming the victim of opportunist thieves in a bid to stop the same thing happening to others.

The pensioner, who did not want to be named, had a bag containing £100 cash stolen while doing her weekly shop in Sainsbury's in Bath Road on Friday lunchtime.

She told the Wiltshire Times: "I caught the community bus from my home in the Lime Avenue area to Sainsbury's, and we never have too long there so I don't hang around when we arrive.

"I attached my hand trolley to my Sainsbury's shopping trolley and everything was securely zipped up.

"I would never leave my trolley but on this occasion there was a woman in a wheelchair and a man pushing her blocking up the vegetable aisle.

"I didn't think anything about it at the time, but they asked me if I wanted them to move away from the potatoes and I told them not to worry.

"Instead I turned my back for a second to pick some up some potatoes and then went back to my trolley."

The pensioner said she had seen a few people hanging around the area, but had not thought anything of it until she reached the checkout and found her bag gone.

She said: "Inside the bag was my cheque book, over £100 in cash because I had been to Natwest the day before, my asthma medication and my house keys.

"The shop staff were so kind and the manager took me into an office.

"There was so much adrenaline going through my body that I wasn't even out of breath after climbing two flights of stairs.

"Everyone was marvellous, the police were too and they stayed with me at home afterwards until a locksmith came to change the locks.

"I think I would just like to warn people not to leave their belongings even for a minute.

"In the 20 years I have lived in Melksham I have never heard of anything like this.

"But it is a different world these days, it is scary."

The woman, who lives alone, said she would use a shoulder bag from now on.

On the same day a second theft was reported to police in the same supermarket.

Another pensioner had her wallet with £20 cash inside taken.

PCSO Debbie Huntley of Melksham police, said nothing had been caught on the store's CCTV cameras.

She said: "We don't want people to panic.

"The people that carry out these types of thefts are very experienced and move from town to town.

"What people can do is come to the police station and ask for a purse chain which can be used to keep their bags or purse attached to them.

"We would urge people not to carry large amounts of money about and to keep an eye on their things, but not to worry."

Police have been dealing with a spate of purse and thefts across west and north Wiltshire in recent months.

Anyone with any relevant information on the latest thefts should call police on 0845 4087000.