A PETERSFIELD woman is warning shoppers to take care of purses and wallets after her purse was stolen by distraction thieves.

The grandmother, from Tilmore Gardens, was in the Cancer Research charity shop in High Street when the theft happened last Tuesday, September 5.

She said: “There were lots of people in there, and my purse was right at the bottom of my handbag.

“Then a man bumped into me quite hard. A couple of minutes later I went to get my purse to buy some blankets for our dogs, but it was gone.

“There was £87 in it, my driving licence and bank cards, the lot was gone.

“I can’t see how they got it without me noticing, but I guess it happened when the bloke bumped into me.

“Just before he knocked me, I saw a woman looking into the shop through the door and I thought she was looking at me.

“When I phoned the police they said there was nothing they could do unless they caught the pickpocket red handed.”

The victim also said police told her groups of ‘professional’ pickpockets from out of town often targeted places such as Petersfield.

A ‘spotter’ identifies potential victims before another gang member causes a distraction, so a third can carry out the theft.

She added: “I checked my purse was safe after another woman in the shop found hers on the floor, but thankfully she had very little cash in it and nothing was missing.

“That made me put my purse at the bottom of my bag for safety, and I think the woman looking into the shop saw where I put it and alerted the pickpockets.

“I would warn anyone out shopping to make sure their wallets and purses are safe, somewhere pickpockets can’t get at them.”