Purse and phone stolen less than half an hour apart at Morrisons supermarket in Heywood

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Morrisons in Heywood

Two thefts took place within half an hour between 4.00 and 4.30pm on Thursday at Morrisons supermarket in Heywood.

Tiffany Ridley had her purse stolen and Aisha O’Neill had her phone stolen whilst shopping at the store on Dawson Street.

The security guard on duty showed Tiffany CCTV footage of the incident, in which she was distracted by a woman in her late 30s/early 40s, whilst a man snatched Tiffany’s purse, briefly left exposed on top of the pram she was pushing.

Tiffany told Rochdale Online: “I saw the footage with my own eyes and watched them distract me and snatch my purse. The police have since tried to access the footage after I reported the theft but the store have not yet managed to hand the footage over.”

Aisha was not able to view the theft on CCTV due to a lack of camera coverage on the aisles on which she suspects the theft occurred. However, as she recalls putting the phone back in her handbag after making a call within the store, she is certain the thieves took it from her bag.

She said: “It’s just awful; my life was on that phone. My purse had £100 in it and I’d still rather they’d taken that over my phone.”

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “A theft of a purse from a 24-year-old woman was reported at 4.27pm at a supermarket on Dawson Street in Heywood. A mobile phone was also taken from a bag at the same supermarket between 4 and 4.15pm of the same day. No arrests have been made in either incident.”

Morrisons declined to comment, saying they had no information as the police deal with thefts.