AN ELDERLY woman had her purse snatched by thieves who then stole her debit card.

Police have issued CCTV images of the incident which took place on Hardshaw Street in St Helens town centre.

A man and woman approached the elderly victim and snatched her purse from her hands after asking for change.

They returned the purse to the victim, but she later noticed her debit card was missing.

The man is described as Asian, around 60 years old, with black hair and around 5ft 1.

The woman, is also described as Asian, around 30 to 40 years old, of slim build and wearing glasses.

After informing the bank of the incident, the victim was told that two large quantities of money had been withdrawn from a cash machine in St Helens and then again at a cash machine in Widnes.

Detective Constable Matthew Rimmer said: “This is clearly an attack on a vulnerable victim who has been left feeling uneasy and out of pocket.

“Were you also in the area that day and saw something suspicious? Or could you help us put names to the two people in the CCTV images? If so, please get in touch.

“It is really important that anyone who has any information in relation to this incident contacts the police so we can find those responsible and bring them to justice.”

The incident happened between 11 and 11.30am on Wednesday, December 6 but police have waited just more than a month to issue an appeal.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting reference number: 0517313767. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or report online.