A woman in her 60s was robbed of £1,300 after her purse was stolen in Ely amid ‘a rise in reports of pickpocketing’.

The woman's purse was taken from her bag while she was walking through the city on Thursday, January 9 - thieves then withdrew the money from her bank account.

Police in Cambridgeshire are now urging members of the public to be vigilant after a number of incidents across the region, including four in Ely in less than a week.

Since the incident in Ely, police have received 12 separate reports of pickpockets operating in Cambridge, Huntingdon and Ely.

There have been seven incidents in Cambridge, including one at Jesus Green on Friday (January 10) when a woman, in her 30s, was approached by a man who snatched her bag.

On Saturday, January 11, a woman in her 50s was walking along Chequers Court in Huntingdon when her purse was taken from her bag.

Sgt Kevin Misik said: "More often than not pickpockets will try their best to remain undetected, which is why vigilance and prevention methods are key.

"Thieves will often try to operate in busy places like pubs or shopping centres, so make sure to keep bags shut and valuables out of your back pockets.

"A great way to avoid falling foul of pickpockets is to attach bells to your purse for example, that way if someone tries to grab it, you are instantly made aware."

You can find further advice on how to avoid becoming a victim of a pickpocket on the police website: www.cambs.police.uk/A-Z/Pickpocketing