An elderly woman was targeted by a ‘callous’ thief who stole cash meant for a last holiday with her terminally ill son.
Jean Murray, 86, had her handbag snatched from inside B&M Bargains on Exchange Street, Macclesfield, on March 24.
Police said at around 3pm Jean and her husband William, 88, were followed into the shop by a woman.
Jean, who uses a walker because of mobility issues, had left her handbag on the handle while she browsed the store.
But when she turned her back the thief took the handbag, which contained £1,100 cash, a purse, mobile phone, glasses, a gold necklace and vital medical information about her pacemaker.
The offender then put her own shopping basket down and left the store.
The couple had withdrawn £1,100 from the Macclesfield branch of NatWest minutes earlier.
The great-grandparents, who live in Poynton, had planned to use the cash for a holiday with Jean’s disabled son Geoffrey, 56, who has cancer and only has months to live.
The crime has devastated the couple who have urged the culprit to hand herself in.
William said: “I am furious that someone would be so callous and target Jean like that. It is a lot of money we have lost. I think this thief should turn herself in and do the right thing. She needs to face up to her crime.”
Jean said: “It’s terribly upsetting. Geoffrey has been diagnosed with cancer and only has a few months to live. That has been very hard for me to cope with. We wanted to take him on one last family holiday to Llandudno to create some special memories.”
Police have released CCTV images of a woman they would like to speak to in connection with the theft. She is described as being of Eastern European origin with a slim build, in her early 30s and with dark shoulder length hair.
PC Neil Cook said: “This was a targeted theft on a vulnerable elderly lady who has been left extremely shaken and upset.
“I want to encourage the public to come forward with any information they might have to identify the person responsible and help prevent anyone else becoming a victim of this crime.”
Anyone who can identify the woman should call police on 101 quoting incident 660 of 24 March or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
