TRADERS and shoppers in the Vale have been warned to be on high alert after bogus charity collectors stole a mobile phone at an Evesham shop.
The warning from police follows two linked incidents on Tuesday (July 15) in Evesham and Pershore where ‘collectors’ claimed to be raising money for deaf and blind people.
At about 11.10am a man carrying a clipboard visited a shop in the Merstow Green area of Evesham before telling the shop staff he was collecting to build a centre for deaf and blind children.
The man then placed his clipboard on the shop desk on top of a white Samsung Galaxy S4 phone in a pink cover, worth £480 which was later taken.
The man is believed to be Eastern European and is described as aged between 25 and 35 with a tanned complexion. He was wearing a dark blue baseball cap and blue jeans.
About an hour earlier, two men called at a shop in the Royal Arcade at Broad Street, Pershore collecting to provide assistance for the deaf. They used sign language and asked for a donation but left empty-handed.
They were wearing baseball caps and were also described as having darkly tanned skin.
PC Paul Blundell said: “We are linking these two incidents and appealing for any information regarding the identities of those involved.
“We also want people to be aware of this activity and to be on their guard if approached. It seems shopkeepers are being targeted and a close watch should be kept on possessions such as mobile phones if visible on counters or desks.”
Anyone with information about both incidents should call the police non-emergency number on 101.
