Fundraiser launched after heartless thieves steal £1,000 Christmas money from 85-year-old grandmother

A fundraiser has been launched after heartless thieves stole £1,000 Christmas money from an 85-year-old grandmother during a distraction theft in Warrington town centre.

The woman from Latchford has been left traumatised by the theft involving three women who stole the cash from her walking trolley after watching her withdraw it from a bank.

They then followed her onto the number 2 Latchford bus where she is believed to have been distracted while the money was stolen.

Fundraising organiser Roxanne Jones said: “This is for our grandma…. she has gone to town, withdrew £1000 of her money to get Christmas presents and was watched in the bank by a female through the window who was with 2 more females, who then followed her to the bus station and got the same bus and sat in the surrounding area and distracted her while one of them removed the envelope from her handbag in her walking trolley and then got off the bus at the next stop.
“The police have said that the prosecution rate is extreamly low as these people are known to the police and not normally from this area.
“So this pensioner has now lost £1000 for Christmas for xmas presents for her family and friends… this is alot for a pensioner to loose and she has lost all trust in people and wanting to go out of the house alone and she won’t go out alone now due to being scared.
“We have set this page up to try and help get some of the money back. We didn’t want to do this but we have had alot of messages about donations for her
if you can donate that would be greatly appreciated.
Donations can be made via https://www.gofundme.com/f/pensioner-has-christmas-money-stolen
Already more than £150 has been raised in donations.

Meanwhile a Cheshire Police spokesperson said: “At 3.52pm on Thursday 16 November police were called to reports of a high value theft in Warrington.
“The caller reported that three women had stolen a large amount of cash from an 85-year-old woman who was travelling on the number 2 Latchford bus.
“The women are believed to have distracted the victim after following her onto the bus.
“The investigation is in its early stages and enquiries are ongoing. No arrests have been made at this time.”
Anyone with any information is asked to call Cheshire Police on 101, or at www.cheshire.police.uk/tell-us, quoting 1692502