POLICE have released an image of a man they would like to speak to after an elderly woman was the victim of a distraction theft which saw £600 stolen. 

A woman aged in her 80s was loading her shopping into her car outside Tesco in Pennys Walk, Ferndown when a man approached her and said she had left something in her trolley. 

The woman went to check her trolley but could not see any items left behind and when she returned to her car, she found two of her purses were missing from her handbag. 

The purses contained around £10 in cash as well as the victim’s bank card. The card was used to carry out a transaction at a nearby store for more than £90 and a further transaction of more than £500 was attempted. 

Bournemouth Echo: Do you know him?Do you know him? (Image: NQ)

Police Community Support Investigator Kate Hann, of Dorset Police, said: “We are continuing to carry out enquiries into this incident and we have obtained a CCTV image of a man we would like to identify. 

“I would urge anyone who recognises him to please make contact with us. 

“We are also investigating a similar incident that occurred on Wednesday 12 October 2022 at the same store involving a woman who was approached while she was doing her shopping and I would like to take this opportunity to urge people to remain vigilant. 

“Always keep your bag or purse close to you when you are shopping and ensure your PIN is not visible to anyone else when you are paying for items.” 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk/contact or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55220158361.  

Alternatively, independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling Freephone 0800 555 111.