‘Nan-hunt’ launched for 2 grinning pensioners after garments go lacking
A couple of old ladies caught on camera with huge grins at a market stall are the subject of a police ‘nan-hunt’ as the force asks shoppers and locals to check their dash cams
Police are hunting a pair of beaming pensioners after clothes were allegedly looted from an award-winning market.
Footage released by cops shows a grinning elderly lady in a long grey coat caught on camera reaching for her handbag at the Saffron Walden stall in Essex on November 25. Another pensioner looks on in a winter scarf and patterned jacket.
Essex Police have now launched an appeal in a bid to trace the two women and speak to them about the alleged theft.
A force spokesman said: “If you recognise them or have any information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage in relation to this incident, then please get in contact with us.”
A police spokesperson said petty theft can be “very damaging” for small businesses in the run-up to Christmas. They added that the incident is “of course unusual” although the store, unfortunately, often suffers theft.
Saffron Walden’s market is well-known to locals and also draws visitors from outside Essex. The market won Best Small Outdoor Market’ in the Great British Market Awards in 2018.
It also landed Market Team of the Year Award (Small Markets) from the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA) in 2021.
A spokesman said: “If you recognise them or have any information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage in relation to this incident, then please get in contact with us.
“Please quote 42/172650/25. You can let us know by submitting a report on our website or by using our online Live Chat service which is available 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week.”
The Daily Star Sunday recently revealed a surge in shoplifting in the UK. More shoplifters are now being caged and they’re also going behind bars for longer, its investigation discovered.
There were a staggering 44,300 convictions in the year ending June 2025, surging from 35,300 a year earlier. The number of thieves being jailed is also climbing.
Back in 2018 only 25% of those convicted were sent to jail but 27% were locked up in the year to last June, according to our probe.
The amount of time pilferers spend behind bars is also soaring, with the average custodial sentence now 2.4 months, rising from 2.2 in 2024 and 1.9 in 2018.
The fightback against Britain’s shoplifting epidemic was uncovered following a series of Freedom of Information requests by the Reach Data Unit. Campaigners welcomed our findings but stressed more needs to be done.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
