Thorley Park Sainsbury's shopper who was victim of distraction thief issues warning

A woman who was targeted by a distraction thief in Bishop's Stortford wants to warn other shoppers.

Elaine Blackaby’s purse was stolen following a trip to Sainsbury’s at Thorley Park on Sunday September 27.

She had put her shopping and handbag in her car boot, returned her trolley and was set to drive home when a man approached and asked in broken English for directions to the town centre. She told him to put ‘Bridge Street’ in his sat-nav and he asked her to spell it.

Afterwards, Elaine found her purse was missing and realised it had been taken by an accomplice of the man during the exchange.

When she called her bank, the thieves had tried to use all of her bank cards and had managed to withdraw £300 on one of them.

Elaine believes the thief watched her enter her PIN while she was at the checkout in Sainsbury's.