DETECTIVES are trying to trace two women in connection with four purse and cash thefts in Hyndburn, Burnley and Chorley.

They issued an appeal at the weekend after an 87-year-old woman had £500 stolen by the pair in Accrington Town Centre.

The theft has been linked to an earlier pickpocketing incident in Burnley and two similar incidents in Chorley.

The witness appeal comes shortly after Blackburn police released CCTV images of a man and a woman they wish to speak to after a 94-year-old woman had her handbag stolen from Morrison’s supermarket in Railway Road on Wednesday.

On Tuesday afternoon the 87-year-old pensioner had her purse containing £500 stolen while shopping in Accrington’s outdoor market around 2pm.

In the Burnley incident on Thursday November 24, a 57-year-old man had £1,000 stolen in an envelope when his pocket was picked at Home Bargains in Curzon Street after visiting a nearby bank.

Police are now linking the two offences to two earlier purse thefts in Chorley.

Police said CCTV images seem to identify the same two young women in the vicinity of all four incidents PCSO James Southworth, from Hyndburn police, said: “An 87-year-old female had a purse containing £500 stolen in the incident on Tuesday afternoon in the outdoor market.

“We would appeal for any assistance the public can give us in investigating his unpleasant crime.

“We believe these two young women may be connected to similar incidents in Burnley and Chorley but not to one in Blackburn Morrisons which is part of a different investigation.

“I would urge Christmas shoppers to be very careful with purses, bags, cards, wallets and cash in what is a very busy period for this type of opportunist thief.”

Insp Simon Lynch said: “Obviously stealing from pensioners doing their Christmas shopping in this way are reprehensible offences.

“We would appear to have several persons out there targetting festive shoppers.

“I would appeal to anyone with information which could lead to the identification of those responsible to contact the police.”

In the Burnley theft, the victim entered the shop having withdrawn cash from the bank.

While at the till, police said he felt a woman make contact with his right side before she left.

When he later checked, an envelope containing £1,000 had been stolen from his pocket.

A Burnley Police spokesman said of the Home Bargains theft: “We are appealing for information after a man was the victim of pickpockets who made off with around £1,000 in cash.

“We are particularly keen to speak with two women.”

In Wednesday’s incident at Blackburn Morrison’s, the pensioner victim’s navy blue bag containing a small blue purse with a bank card and £200 in cash was taken.

Anyone with information can contact police on 101. quoting crime references ED1618391 for the Accrington incident, EF1612604 for the Burnley theft, LC-20161129-0792 for the Chorley offences.

The couple sought for the Morrison’s incident were a man with facial hair in a dark top, jeans and dark trainers and a woman wearing a beige jacket, dark jeans and white trainers.