Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after an elderly man had £500 stolen by pick pockets in Newbury last Friday (13th November).

The 89-year-old man was approached some time between 10.50am and 11.15am, after he had just withdrawn the money from Barclays Bank in Market Place.

A man and two women approached him in the car park of the nearby library in The Wharf, and the man claimed to have an injured hand.

The women he was with then pointed out that the victim had some red liquid on the back of his coat, and started to wipe it off for him with tissues.

It was only when the man later arrived at a friends house that he realised the money was missing from his inside pocket.

The man is white, about 40-years-old, 5ft 8ins, with a foreign accent, possibly Eastern European. He had a rounded face and was wearing a three-quarter length dark-coloured jacket and a grey flat cap.

PC Gary Colbourne said: “This is a callous incident where thieves have targeted an elderly man.

“We would urge anyone who saw these people in the area on Friday, to come forward and talk to us so we can ensure they do not do this again.

“I would also urge people to be aware of this incident and to be cautious of any strangers that approach you in these circumstances. If you are approached in this manner, walk away and call the police.”

Anyone with information should contact PC Colbourne via the Thames Valley Police Enquiry Line on 0845 8 505 505, or alternatively contact the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.

They were either very lucky or they watched him draw out the money in the bank. CCTV perhaps.

Withdrawn £500 from the cashpoint??!!

£500?!!

You'd hope that TVP have confirmed he ACTUALLY withdrew that amount before issuing this statement and he's not just an elderly chap who losing his marbles as well as just a fiver maybe...

and also asked him why he was such a stoopid get walking round with THAT much tucked in his back pocket.... honestly, some people do ask for it sometimes....

I had a similar incident last year when they took my purse, this happened in the Market Place.  Reported it to the passing PCSO who told me to go to the police station.  The lady who took the report said it was happening on a regular basis.  CCTV only seems to be on during the evening to monitor the pubs.

The gentleman this happened to this week is my neighbour.  Someone out there knows who these scum are, hopefully their conscience will make them call Crime Stoppers.

First big mistake.... "Reported it to a passing PCSO who told me "I'm sorry, you must have mistaken me for a REAL policeman. I'm just a PCSO.  I only deal with ...ermm.. ermm.. parking tickets?   ermm no that's the council now innit...  Best go to the police station luv, they'll know what to do.... I can do directions though... The police station is over there...." <points>


"Nah.... hang on... It might be over there"   <points>  
"oh.. I dunno I just get picked up by the van at the end of me shift..."

Quoted from spartacus

Withdrawn £500 from the cashpoint??!!

£500?!!

You'd hope that TVP have confirmed he ACTUALLY withdrew that amount before issuing this statement and he's not just an elderly chap who losing his marbles as well as just a fiver maybe...

and also asked him why he was such a stoopid get walking round with THAT much tucked in his back pocket.... honestly, some people do ask for it sometimes....

He withdrew it from Barclays Bank, not Barclays cashpoint.  It was £500, I can vouch for that, and it checked by the Police to see if they could get note numbers.  It was not in his back pocket but his inside pocket.  He may be 89, but most certainly has all his marbles.  I feel pity for you that you really think an elderly man asked for it.  I feel horrified that anyone could do this to an elderly man.

And the moral of the story is.........  

"Do not type a response when you've had a couple of glasses of Jack Daniels and your vision is blurred"

Still.... Walking around with £500 in your INSIDE pocket is daft these days. All these organised gangs of Eastern european CCTV operators

i can tell you the full story of this as it was my friends dad that it happened to but i don't know if i'm allowed

Quoted from jay

He withdrew it from Barclays Bank, not Barclays cashpoint.  It was £500, I can vouch for that, and it checked by the Police to see if they could get note numbers.  It was not in his back pocket but his inside pocket.  He may be 89, but most certainly has all his marbles.  I feel pity for you that you really think an elderly man asked for it.  I feel horrified that anyone could do this to an elderly man.

Here, here - I second that!

The amount he withdraws is totally irrelevent - why shouldn't he be able to withdraw £500 and safely travel home with it!
How dare you Spartacus suggest he was a stupid git, and that he "asked for it" - shame on you!!

Quoted from LocalRes

The amount he withdraws is totally irrelevent - why shouldn't he be able to withdraw £500 and safely travel home with it!
How dare you Spartacus suggest he was a stupid git, and that he "asked for it" - shame on you!!

yes.. shame on me.  Man wanders around with £500 cash, becomes distracted and has it knicked...  How could I come up with the notion that this action could be filed under 'gross stupidity'? I'm ashamed of myself for thinking this way. I'm wearing sackcloth underpants all week as penance.... with a money belt clipped to the outside

I'm sad that someone's knicked it from the fella, but unfortunately there's a lot of nasty low-life oiks out there and THAT is why you have to be extremely careful with your money these days....  We don't live in a chocolate commercial and that's why he isn't able to withdraw £500 and safely travel home with it...


I hope I'm not that dim when I'm 89 (although I'd hope I had £500 cash to flash in the first place)

Quoted from spartacus

yes.. shame on me.  Man wanders around with £500 cash, becomes distracted and has it knicked...  How could I come up with the notion that this action could be filed under 'gross stupidity'? I'm ashamed of myself for thinking this way. I'm wearing sackcloth underpants all week as penance.... with a money belt clipped to the outside

I'm sad that someone's knicked it from the fella, but unfortunately there's a lot of nasty low-life oiks out there and THAT is why you have to be extremely careful with your money these days....  We don't live in a chocolate commercial and that's why he isn't able to withdraw £500 and safely travel home with it...


I hope I'm not that dim when I'm 89 (although I'd hope I had £500 cash to flash in the first place)

I don't think you will make 89!

Quoted from spartacus

yes.. shame on me.  Man wanders around with £500 cash, becomes distracted and has it knicked...  How could I come up with the notion that this action could be filed under 'gross stupidity'? I'm ashamed of myself for thinking this way. I'm wearing sackcloth underpants all week as penance.... with a money belt clipped to the outside

I'm sad that someone's knicked it from the fella, but unfortunately there's a lot of nasty low-life oiks out there and THAT is why you have to be extremely careful with your money these days....  We don't live in a chocolate commercial and that's why he isn't able to withdraw £500 and safely travel home with it...


I hope I'm not that dim when I'm 89 (although I'd hope I had £500 cash to flash in the first place)

Didn't sound much like saddened to me, more like gloating.
And why should you "assume" that he is "losing his marbles".

I hope, if you make 89, that someone shows you the same disrespect!

Quoted from dodgy

I don't think you will make 89!

Any particular reason??  You been sneaking a peek at my medical notes??  Or is it that we're ALL doomed!!  Having said that, in my Flashforward I see a giant meteor hitting Parkway and wiping out Debenhams on my 88th birthday... (I'm the tramp outside selling 'Big Issue for the Elderly'....)

Quoted from spartacus

Any particular reason??  You been sneaking a peek at my medical notes??  Or is it that we're ALL doomed!!  Having said that, in my Flashforward I see a giant meteor hitting Parkway and wiping out Debenhams on my 88th birthday... (I'm the tramp outside selling 'Big Issue for the Elderly'....)

Well, at least you're doing your bit for society..Ha!

This has disgusted me, not least because of the fact that it was an elderly gentleman involved who can't nip out to work to help out with the £500 shortfall but also because in august this year the same sort of thing happened to my husband who's in his 30's.  he'd gone to barclays in yes you guessed it market place, withdrawn £1300 (no comments about carrying cash, he had to buy something and the guy would only accept cash) then walked towards his car when somebody threw a cup of puke down his back, an eastern european woman came up to him wiping him with tissues all over including his groin??? my hubby was aware of a man in his sight, then the next hing he knew his envelope with the cash had been switched for an envelope filled with barclays paying in slips. all this happened within a matter of minutes and he gave chase but they just dissapeared. it was immediately phoned through to the police, they took the evnelope for fingerprints (never heard anything) and his shirt that was sent for dna analysis. police have been useless, why did they not do a photofit that could have been distributed to the banks etc... and don't bother with cctv, the bank in question don't have any - so even though we live in abig brother society it makes no difference. the police haven't even been in contact, hubby has just had to leave a message for them to contact them!

We only saw this in the paper because somebody sent it to us, we have now moved to Somerset for some nice peaceful living!!!!