Hampshire Constabulary

Police are asking for witnesses to come forward after an incident where money was stolen from a woman in Portsmouth.

Between 11.30am and 2.30pm on Wednesday, October 22, an 83-year-old woman from Fratton collected £500 from a bank in Commercial Road.

As she reached Crasswell Street, near to the junction with Paradise Street and also near to the public toilets, the woman was approached by a couple.

The couple stopped her and said she had something spilt on her. They began wiping and patting down her back with tissues, and said it was curry sauce. As they helped her they were talking to each other in a foreign language.

The couple then left and the woman went into the public toilets as she could feel some of the sauce in her hair. Whilst in there she was helped by another woman.

When the woman later arrived home she realised that the £500 had been taken from her bag.

The man and woman involved are described as of Asian or Chinese appearance. The man was between 30 and 40 years of age and wearing a black fleece and dark trousers, and the woman was taller than him and dressed all in black.

Police are investigating whether this incident may be linked to a similar occurrence which happened in Fareham on September 22.

PC Lucy Allan said, “This was a despicable incident and the woman felt very upset by what happened. She is a vulnerable woman who uses sticks to assist her walking. We need to speak to anyone who may have seen what happened, as there would have been many people in the area at this time of day.

“We are also particularly keen to speak to the kind woman who helped this lady clean herself up in the toilets, as she may have vital information about what happened.

“I would advise people to take care when withdrawing and carrying large amounts of cash, and always ensure you keep any bank details or PIN numbers safe.”