Bank card thieves target elderly in Dagenham supermarket car park

Thieves stole more than �5,000 after stealing the bank cards of elderly people they had tricked in a Dagenham car park.

Police are appealing for witnesses after three OAPs were targeted in Morrisons’ car park in Wood Lane on three separate occasions this autumn. Officers believe the crimes are linked.

On October 26 a woman approached an 83-year-old lady and asked if she had dropped a �20 note. She suggested the pensioner check her purse, which she did.

The elderly woman later discovered her bank card was missing and before she had a chance to cancel it, �300 was taken out of her account.

On November 17 a woman holding a �10 note asked an 85-year-old man for change. After he checked his wallet, the suspect and a man she was with walked away.

He later found his card was missing and �2,200 had been taken from his account.

Three days later a 90-year-old woman was approached by a woman with a similar story. She opened the victim’s bag and in that case �3,000 ended up being withdrawn.

The suspects are described as white and Eastern European. The woman, aged between 28 and 30, has straight blonde hair, is around 5ft and may have been wearing a white coat.

The man, aged between 31 and 38, has short black hair and was possibly wearing a suit and tie.

Information to PC Jones on 101 quoting reference number 5119769/12 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.