SHOPPERS were warned yesterday to take extra care of their purses after two women fell victim to thieves in a town centre.
One woman had her purse stolen as she queued in the post office in Barnard Castle.
The second victim had her purse stolen at the checkout at the nearby Morrisons supermarket.
Only small amounts of money were in the purses, but they contained bank cards, which had to be cancelled.
Acting Sergeant Mick Urwin said yesterday: "This is an unusual crime in our area, but after these two incidents we are asking all women to take extra care of their purses.
"The culprits were possibly visitors to the town, who took the opportunity to steal the purses when they could be seen in open bags.
"We are urging people to be more vigilant."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article