TOWN centre retailers are being warned following a potential distraction theft involving two women a store on Thursday, writes Melina Cannon.

A woman entered Heaven, on Unicorn Hill, with a little boy aged about two in a pushchair, shortly followed by another woman with a young girl of about eight at about 10.45am.

Manager Tracey Green said: "The first woman was asking questions about everything at the top end of the shop, which made me suspicious, and I later realised she was trying to distract me.

"The next thing I saw was the young girl passing the shop window with a Winnie the Pooh pushchair worth £225. I immediately knew it was one of ours because it is so distinctive."

The manager said she ran from behind the counter shouting for the pushchair to be brought back and grabbed the first woman outside the shop as she tried to walk away.

"She had said she had nothing to do with the other woman but then said she would get the pram back if I let her go. I threatened to call the police but the woman and the young girl did return with the pushchair.

"This is a warning to other shops that these women are in operation," she added.

Sgt Andy Chinn, of Redditch police, said the women are both about 5ft 5ins with long bleached hair and wearing a lot of gold jewellery.

"This was a potential distraction theft. We are warning shopkeepers and retailers in and around the town centre area to be wary of two women fitting this description whose mission is to distract the shopkeeper while the other attempts to steal goods," added Sgt Chinn.