POLICE are warning shoppers to be on their guard after a spate of cheeky pick-pocketing in Leigh town centre.

As always, police security will be stepped up around the town in the run up to Christmas to help prevent the recent run of purse and bag snatches recurring.

One 80-year-old partially-sighted local woman had just regained her confidence following an incident last year in which her shopping bag was slashed open with a craft knife while she was out shopping with a relative, when two weeks ago she ventured into the town again and the same thing happened.

Warn others

The woman's son wants to warn others of the dangers. He says: "The shock of this happening again has left mum even more traumatised and we will be lucky if we can get her to go through the door again.

"On a recent visit to the town centre I was struck by the fact that there were lots of elderly ladies on their own with exactly the same canvas shopping bags, and it is also obvious that these people are still out there with their knifes. I shudder to think what might happen if someone challenges them, will they use the knife to make their escape? It doesn't bear thinking about."

A police spokesman said: "We are aware there was a spate of personal robberies and bag snatchings five or six weeks ago and we highlighted this around the town with posters and tannoy announcements and it seems to have died down, but you do get odd instances and I know it must be very frightening, particularly for the elderly.

"We always have a Christmas initiative with increased patrols around the town. We will be looking forward to the Christmas period and hoping these offences don't occur again."