Shocking CCTV footage of thieves stealing £1,000 from pensioner in lift

The Metropolitan Police have released CCTV footage as part of an appeal to find three suspects of a pick pocket theft in east London.

Three people, two men and a woman, were accused of robbing a pensioner at approximately 11.20AM on 26 July.

The 69-year-old victim had walked into Lloyds Bank in Ilford to withdraw £1,000 cash from her account. She then took a lift at the Exchange Shopping Mall on High Road to return to her vehicle, the police said.

While she was in the lift, two of the suspects pressed different floor buttons and engaged in a conversation with the victim. Meanwhile, the third suspect, a woman, searched the victim's handbag and stole the cash.

Only when the victim was in the car did she realise she had been pickpocketed.

"Suspect One is a white woman, aged in her 40s, with long dyed white hair. She was wearing a black leather jacket over a black and white chequered top, bleached blue jeans with holes in the knees and black shoes," the police said.

"Suspect Two is an Eastern European man, aged in his 30s, with short black hair. He was wearing a green jacket, blue jeans and blue trainers with white laces.

"Suspect Three is an Eastern European man, aged is his 40s, with receding short dark hair. He was wearing a grey suit jacket over a black top, blue jeans and blue trainers with white soles. He also had black rimmed glasses on his head."

PC Carl Repper, from the East Area Command, said: "We are appealing for any information as to the identity of these three suspects. The victim has lost a large amount of her savings as a result of her ordeal."