Young boy used by two men to help steal from south London charity shop

Police are appealing for information to find two men who used a young boy to help them steal from a charity shop in south London. CCTV footage shows the male suspects using the child, believed to be five years old, to steal a staff member's mobile phone at a Cancer Research shop on Wimbledon's High Street on 11 October.

The footage shows one of the men distracting the sales assistant while the second ushers the boy behind the till to take the phone and hide it down his trousers.

The two men and boy then leave the shop with some ladies' clothing – which they did not make any attempt to pay for – as well as the shop worker's phone.

The first suspect is described as a large white man in his early 30s with a brown beard, wearing a grey long-sleeved top with a green logo on its left breast, grey cap, black shoulder bag, black shorts and black-and-white trainers.

The second is described as a large white man in his late 20s wearing a dark blue T-shirt, dark blue peaked cap, dark red trousers, white socks and dark shoes.

The boy involved is described as white with short brown hair, around five years old, wearing a dark coloured top with a green-and-white image on the front, dark red trousers and black-and-white trainers.

PC Sue Clarke of Merton Borough said: "We are keen to identify the two men in the CCTV footage who appear to use the child in their care to steal from those working in a Cancer Research shop. We would also urge anyone who witnessed the incident to contact us."

Anyone with information or any witnesses are urged to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.