Police are appealing for witnesses and information following distraction thefts in Bishop’s Stortford and Sawbridgeworth on Tuesday afternoon (26 September).

It was reported that a woman was using the contactless card payment machine in Bell Street, car park, Sawbridgeworth, at around 2.05pm, when she was approached by a man who told her it wasn’t working properly and said that she would need to enter her PIN instead.

While the woman was distracted, her card was taken from the machine. A transaction totalling £24 was subsequently made before the card was cancelled.

The man is described as being black, aged in his 40s, with a beard and was well-dressed in a suit (crime reference 41/77208/23).

It was also reported that a card was stolen from a second woman, who was approached and spoken to in similar circumstances by two unknown males by the payment machine, sometime between 2pm and 2.30pm. Thankfully, the card was cancelled before any money was taken from her account.

The males are described as being Asian, aged in their mid-30s and they were both wearing surgical masks. One was of stocky build and wearing jeans (crime reference 41/77173/23).

Then at around 3pm, a card was stolen from a payment machine at the Herts and Essex Hospital car park in Bishop’s Stortford. The suspect is described as an Asian male, who was wearing a mask and a cap (crime reference 41/77200/23).

read more on our website: Distraction thefts in East Herts | Hertfordshire Constabulary

https://www.herts.police.uk/.../distraction-thefts-in.../

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Regards,

Corporate Communications - KC

Hertfordshire Press & PR Department

Email: fcrenquiries@herts.police.uk

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