THIEVES are stealing thousands of pounds from New Forest residents by secretly copying their credit cards while they withdraw cash.

Criminals have been using a vast array of illegal devices - dubbed Lebanese Loops - to make crude imitations of cards while unsuspecting customers use cash machines.

Once the details have been obtained - usually without the card users' knowledge - the fraudsters go on to empty their victim's bank accounts.

Officers believe more than £20,000 has been stolen from New Forest residents since April.

A man enjoyed a lucky escape in the latest case when he spotted something suspicious in the card slot of a cash machine.

When he removed the small plastic sleeve, two men, who appeared to be Eastern European, ran up and snatched it.

Chief Insp Keith Deakin, of Lyndhurst police, said: "There's been a significant increase in the amount of card crime which is linked to the cloning of cards.

"What appears to be coming more common place is the use of what's known as a Lebanese Loop. That's a device put into the slot of a cash point, where you put your card, which records the magnetic strip details.Someone then either watches or the user is filmed to obtain their pin number and subsequently a cloned card is used to empty their bank account.''

Often the victim is totally unaware they are being stolen from until their credit card bill lands on the doormat at the end of the month.

Chief Insp Deakin said 50 residents in Brockenhurst and New Milton have reported cases of the scam since the beginning of April - although many go unreported.

He said: "We're getting more and more incidences of this type of crime in the New Forest and recently in New Milton and Brockenhurst.

"I would appeal to members of the public who use cashpoints to be aware of anyone watching them or anything unusual at the point of entry of the card.

"If they're in any doubt do not use the cash point and either call the police or their bank.''

Anyone with any information, or who has recently been a victim of a Lebanese Loop or similar device, is urged to call 0845 045 4545.