Battersea pickpocket sees purse and bankcards returned (From Your Local Guardian)

Battersea pickpocket sees purse and bankcards returned

10:50am Saturday 8th November 2008

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A pickpocket victim in Battersea was reunited with her purse and bankcards only an hour after they were stolen, thanks to a kind hearted council litter inspector.

The woman was relaxing in a coffee bar in Northcote Road last Tuesday when her purse was stolen from her handbag by an opportunist thief.

The purse, minus a quantity of cash, was later dumped in a pile of bin bags that had been left on the pavement in Aliwal Road.

When a council litter inspector began examining the fly-tip to see if it contained any evidence showing who was responsible for dumping it, he came across the purse.

The purse contained a number of credit and debit cards plus a business card, which had the owner's mobile telephone number.

When he rang the number, the woman told him that the purse had just been stolen and that she was still in the Northcote Road coffee bar.

Keith Watkins, the street care officer who found the purse, said: “She was obviously quite distressed and when she told me where she was I quickly agreed to go there and hand her purse back.

“She told me the theft had happened less than an hour earlier, and that she has seen a suspicious looking man loitering in the cafe, but hadn’t thought anything about it until she'd gone to pay her bill and found that her purse had gone.

“She said it had been the most horrendous experience for her, but by returning her bankcards and her purse that I'd managed to brighten up her day just a little.”

The council's community safety spokesman, Councillor James Cousins, said: “As a general point, it is very important not to leave personal items unattended in bars, pubs and restaurants.

“Don’t leave handbags hanging on chairs and remember to bring your purse or wallet and your jacket with you when going to the bathroom or the counter. Don’t rely on people sitting near you to watch your stuff.”

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