Thieves steal hundreds of pounds from elderly pensioner in Colchester town centre (From Essex County Standard)

Thieves steal hundreds of pounds from elderly pensioner in Colchester town centre

4:32pm Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News

A PENSIONER has been conned out of hundreds of pounds by thieves in Colchester town centre.

The 80-year-old was travelling down Maidenburgh Street in his mobility scooter when a man stopped him and told him he had bird muck on his back.

While distracting him and pretending to wipe it off the thief stole his wallet from his back pocket and then went to a cashpoint three times withdrawing a total of £700. 

The incident happened shortly before midday on Tuesday, March 12.
 

PC Hayley Langmead said: “We think that this thief had seen them man withdraw some money from a nearby cashpoint minutes earlier and followed him before executing this distraction technique.
 

“We are now in the process of looking through CCTV to see if his face has been captured on camera.
 

“In the meantime, as well as appealing for any witnesses to this theft, we’re also making everyone aware of this technique used by criminals.”
 

The thief is described as white, in his late 20s and was wearing a dark, hooded jacket.
 

Any witnesses or anyone with information in call Colchester police on 101.

See the full story in Thursday's Gazette.