TWO ruthless girls have been stealing money from elderly shoppers under the guise of conducting a survey.
Jo Barry Smith from Stratford dropped his 90 year-old grandmother Mary off on the bench outside Natwest bank while he went to park his car around 1pm on Saturday (June 24).
When he was gone, two girls, thought to be in their teens, approached her and asked if she would help them with a survey about disabled parking.
They then asked her for identification and apparently took her purse from her, saying they would ‘help her find her ID’. It was not until the next day that Mary, who turns 91 in August, realised her pension money had been stolen – more than £100.
It is believed the girls were in their late teens and spoke with Eastern European accents.
In a similar incident, an elderly couple were sitting on a bench outside the library and were approached by two girls asking them to sign a petition. Fortunately, when the girls asked them to get their ID out, the couple became suspicious and refused.
Anyone with information which could help identify the culprits should call police on 101.
