FOUR people in the Beccles and Southwold shopping areas were targeted by thieves on Tuesday morning.An 80-year-old woman was pulling her shopping cart at Somerfield in New Market in Beccles at around 10.

FOUR people in the Beccles and Southwold shopping areas were targeted by thieves on Tuesday morning.

An 80-year-old woman was pulling her shopping cart at Somerfield in New Market in Beccles at around 10.20am when a man reached in and took her purse, but she managed to pull it back. The man is described as being of Asian appearance, large or stocky build, in his late 30s to 40s and wearing a light coloured coat.

At about 10.55am police received a report that a woman in a charity shop in Hungate had her handbag stolen. The bag, which contained prescription drugs, had been left behind the counter for an hour and 10 minutes.

In Southwold at 11.15am a handbag was stolen from under a desk of a woman working in a High Street shop. The dark tan coloured soft leather bag contained cash, cards, and a mobile phone.

Police want to trace two women who were at the shop at around that time. One was around 5ft 6ins tall, with long brown hair in a clip at the neck, wearing a short sleeve pink top with a white long sleeve top underneath and blue jeans. She was carrying a dark coloured shoulder bag with a motif on the side. The second woman had dark shoulder length hair and wearing a white long-sleeved jacket and dark jeans. Both were white.

At 11-11.30am a shopper in the Market Place in Southwold noticed her purse had gone missing from her bag. A man had pushed past the woman while a woman he appeared to be with stood just behind her. The man was about 6ft, smartly dressed, possibly of Asian appearance with short hair and in his late 40s-early 50s. The woman is described as 5ft1- 5ft3, of slight build, under 25 and casually dressed, possibly wearing a long coat.

Call police on 01986 835300.