Oswestry purse snatch: Thieves branded 'scum 'by mayor as hunt continues
Thieves who stole a purse from an 87-year-old woman while she was shopping in an Oswestry supermarket have been branded “scum” by the town’s mayor.
The vulnerable victim was shopping in Aldi on Oswald Road when two men approached her.
CCTV images show one man chatting to the victim while looking for items on a shelf, while another searched in her bag for around 10 seconds, before walking off.
West Mercia Police are investigating the incident which happened at about 10.25am on Tuesday last week, however no one has been arrested in connection with the incident.
The distraction theft was caught on the store’s CCTV and it made national headlines after the footage was released by the police. The callous theft prompted a JustGiving page to be set up and more than £4,500 has now been raised for the victim.
Oswestry Mayor Vince Hunt condemned the act in strong terms. He said: “It is a disgusting act, I think it is terrible. It is not nice to happen to anyone, a theft like this. You have to be despicable and scum to pick on an old and vulnerable person like this.”
The hunt for the suspects continues and police believe the men are eastern European and in their 40s.
One man is said to have short hair and was wearing a blue jacket, while the other was bald with glasses, stocky and wearing a black jacket. John Gareth Jones, chairman of the Oswestry Senior Citizens Club, described the theft as a “callous act”.
Mr Jones, a former mayor of Oswestry, said: “It must have been a very traumatic time for the lady, it was a callous act by these men. I just hope that this incident doesn’t make elderly people more housebound than they already are. They need reassurance, whether that is from the police, that it is safe to go out and lead independent lives and carry out their every day activities.”
Oswestry resident Amanda Williams set up a JustGiving page to raise £200 for the victim and that figure is now more than £4,000. Mr Jones said: “The people are so generous to raise this amount of money.
“I hope it will help to comfort the woman in this difficult time.”
Councillor Hunt added: “All I can say is what has happened since with the fundraising shows how the community of Oswestry can come together.”
Anyone with any information regarding the incident is asked to contact police on 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org
To donate to the JustGiving page go to justgiving.com/crowdfunding/amanda-williams-1
