DETECTIVES are today releasing pictures of the two men they need to speak to about a fraud offence involving thousands of pounds.

DETECTIVES are today releasing pictures of the two men they need to speak to about a fraud offence involving thousands of pounds.

At the end of May this year a man went into a bank branch at Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire and opened a new account in the name of an existing customer at the bank. A day later a large sum of cash was transferred into the new account from another account held under the same name.

Arrangements were then made to withdraw several thousand pounds of the money in this new account from a bank branch in Beccles on May 30.

On that same day a man went into a branch at Lowestoft and withdrew several hundred pounds in cash. Less than an hour later a man went into the Beccles branch as arranged and collected the money.

In early June a genuine holder of an account with the bank discovered that money had gone from his account. Subsequent investigation revealed that the fraudsters had opened the new account, transferred the money from the man's genuine account to the fake new one and used fake documents with all the real customer's details on to carry out the transactions.

Suffolk Police are investigating the identity theft and the theft of thousands of pounds in the scam.

Detectives are releasing images in a bid to trace those behind the fraud and need to speak to two men - one shown on CCTV at Waltham Cross and the other the man whose picture appeared on the false documents.

On the CCTV images the man is described as white, with a tanned complexion, with collar length greying hair. It is thought he is over 40 and is wearing a cream top, grey/ green trousers and dark shoes.

The passport-style image shows a man who also appears to be older with a closely cropped hairstyle.

If you recognise these men or have any information about the incident call DC Ian Todd at Beccles CID on 01473 613500.