POLICE are warning Spa shoppers to be on their guard after a recent spate of handbag and purse thefts.

Callous thieves have been preying on the vulnerable and snatching bags from supermarket trolleys and pubs. Eight incidents have now been reported since Monday September 1, a figure marginally higher than last year.

A Force spokesman said: "We have had a recent rise in the theft of ladies' purses and handbags in both shops and public houses in the town centre.

"In the main, victims are middle-aged or elderly. The handbags are being left unattended in shopping trolleys and while people are enjoying

themselves in the pub - and are comparitively easy to steal or take items from."

Uniform officers offered high-visibility advice sessions outside Safeways last Friday, targetting people with handbags in trolleys and also pointing out where their possessions appear vulnerable.

The spokesman added: "We would also urge anyone in a public place not to be casual with their belongings and to either put them away safely or keep them where they can see them at all times. It only takes a few seconds for a thief to strike"