POLICE in Burnley have warned people to be on the look out for town centre pickpockets.

Officers have appealed for witnesses to three incidents where shoppers had their purses stolen at the weekend. They believe all were committed by the same people.

The first was in Asda, at around 7pm on Friday. An elderly woman had her purse, containing £130 in cash, and her door key taken from her coat pocket while shopping in the store.

The description she gave of the offenders, a man and a woman, matches that given by the victims of two further thefts, which took place on Saturday afternoon in TK Maxx, in Church Street, and Internacional, in the Charter Walk shopping arcade.

Both suspects are described as being of Eastern European origin.

The male is said to be in his 40s, 5ft 9in tall, with an olive complexion and a shiny, bald head. He was wearing a grey suit with a grey waistcoat and a dark coloured, woollen Crombie jacket and black shoes.

His accomplice is described as being in her late 30s or early 40s, 5ft 6in tall, with auburn hair and olive skin. She had heavy black eyeliner and red lipstick and was wearing a black coat, a thick, red jumper, a black leather skirt and black boots.

The victim in the Asda theft also described a third male, aged around 16, about 5ft 11in tall, with dark hair, wearing a black, full-length coat.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Burnley CID on 01282 472144 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.