Shopper conned out of £1,120 by Bramley car park distraction thieves

Marilyn Gibson (71), of The Crescent West, Sunnyside, was returning her trolley in the car park at Morrisons in Bramley at noon on Saturday when she was targeted by two men.

When her back was turned, one stole her iPhone, driving licence £160 in cash and six bank cards from her bag. The cards were later used to take £960 from her bank accounts.

The shocked OAP said: “People should be on their guard,” she said.

“It’s too late for me and I shall be more alert in the future.”

Marilyn recalled: “I had been in the store doing my normal weekly shop.

“I loaded the car up and took my trolley back to the trolley bay and there was a gentleman standing in my way.”

Marilyn said the man had asked her for directions to Rotherham Hospital and distracted her with a letter for an appointment.

He then asked her to draw the directions, which Marilyn said was probably “playing for time”.

She added: “I got back to my car and it was unlocked.

“I drove to the fuel station and I reached down to get my card and points card and there was nothing in my purse — everything was gone.

“I couldn’t believe it.”

Marilyn said she had returned to the store where security staff helped her look through footage, cancelled her cards and contacted the police.

But by this time, the thieves had already managed to take £960 from her bank account.

Marilyn said she should have locked her car but did not expect someone to break into it when her back was turned for just a few moments.

She said she now faced a wait to see if her bank would reimburse her with the stolen funds.

“Everything is replaceable — I’m just in shock that it’s happened to me,” she said.

“You never, ever think it’s going to happen to you.

“I tried to be helpful to this guy and it backfired.”

A police spokeswoman said enquiries were ongoing and appealed to anyone who saw what happened to call 101 quoting reference number 14/78281/18.