POLICE are warning shoppers to be on their guard after a spate of purse thefts in Trowbridge.
Officers believe the same person may be responsible for three incidents on October 28 and another on November 4 in which four women had their purses taken from their handbags while in The Shires shopping centre.
Pc Nigel Willcocks of Trowbridge police said: "All of them had paid for something and then when they went to get their purse again realised it was gone."
In one incident an elderly victim lost £400.
Police advise people to ensure bags are kept shut and in sight and not to put them down in shops or in shopping trolleys. On Wednesday officers will be in The Shires handing out advice leaflets and purse chains, which shoppers can use to attach purses to bags or belts as both a safety device and a deterrent to would-be thieves.
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