DISTRACTION thieves are preying on shoppers - with a pensioner falling having £300 stolen in a matter of minutes.

Police released a warning today in the wake a man withdrawing £300 from a woman's bank card after staging a distraction theft in Totton.

The 74-year-old victim from Ashurst was in the Morrisons car park, in Spruce Drive, when a skinny white man with an Eastern European accent approached her holding a map asked for directions.

But when he left she discovered he had stolen two debit cards from a purse in her bag - including the card she had just used to pay for shopping there.

By the time she rushed back to the store to cancel the cards he had already stolen the cash.

PC Ian Cross said: “The speed at which these offenders are working means they probably have seen the victim's PIN code being entered at the till.”

He urged people to always shield the buttons when entering PIN codes and to report anyone behaving suspiciously or trying to look over their shoulders.

Never leave your bag open or unattended in trolleys and always secure wallets and purses before putting away shopping in the boot.

If people ask for directions ensure you have your personal items on you or safely locked away out of sight of prying eyes.

Always lock your vehicle while refuelling and before paying at the petrol station kiosk.

The incident at Morrisons happened at 1.15pm on Saturday, June 29, but police have only released the details now.

Anyone who witnessed the theft should contact PC Cross on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.