POLICE have issued a county-wide warning after a spate of incidents in which necklaces were stolen from around victims’ necks.

The latest robbery happened on Thursday at about 5.15pm outside the Morrisons store in Beccles.

A young woman approached the 67-year-old victim, asking if she wanted to buy some jewellery.

She placed necklaces around the victim’s neck and put items of jewellery in her hands but when a shop worker intervened the suspect fled the scene.

The victim later discovered that her own necklace that she had earlier been wearing was missing.

A Suffolk Police spokesman said: “There have been five other similar offences to this recorded in Ipswich and Lowestoft during the last few weeks, where offenders have also pretended to be trying to sell items by placing them around people’s necks.

“When the victim says they do not want to buy anything, the jewellery is taken back but the victim’s own jewellery is also stolen.”

Officers are urging anyone who is approached in a similar manner to call police immediately, using 999, if they suspect they may have been the victim of a theft.

Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk Police on 01473 613500.