Pensioner has £1,000 stolen from his coat pocket while browsing in Bishop's Stortford charity shop

A pickpocket stole £1,000 from an elderly man browsing in a Bishop's Stortford charity shop just minutes after he had withdrawn the cash from a bank.

The 81-year-old victim was in the St Clare Hospice music and bookshop in Devoils Lane when the theft happened at around 2pm on Friday (Dec 17).

Police said he had taken out the money from Lloyds Bank in North Street and had it in an envelope in his coat. They have no details about what the money was intended for.

It is highly likely that the victim was followed from the bank. Officers are examining CCTV and are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen anything between 2pm and 2.15pm.

A spokeswoman for Hertfordshire Constabulary said: "If anyone does have any information, they can contact us on 101 or report online at herts.police.uk/report, quoting the crime reference number 41/99060/21."