Thieves have targeted five elderly shoppers in the Braintree district in the space of a month.
Police officers are urging pensioners to be on the look out when shopping after thieves, believed to be eastern Europeans, have been spotted lurking in town centre shops, deliberately preying on the elderly.
Five elderly pensioners shopping in Braintree, Witham and Halstead have all had their purses stolen in May.
Police officers are urging elderly shoppers to be on the look out after the thieves seem to be targeting people who are older.
See this week's Halstead Gazette for the full story.
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 The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.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 here