Men in court on Accrington and Blackburn pick pocketing charges

7:50am Saturday 19th July 2008

TWO LIVERPOOL men have been accused of pickpocketing elderly East Lancashire people who were boarding town centre buses.

John Turner, and Joseph Woolrich, both 45, appeared at Hyndburn Magistrates’ Court, charged with conspiring to steal wallets and purses from elderly people in bus queues over a period of three months.

The court was told the charges relate to thefts between late February and early June this year, in Accrington and Blackburn town centre bus queues, targeting victims aged between 65 and 84.

Turner, of Montravia Crescent, Liverpool and Woolrich, of Hasfield Road, Liverpool, spoke only to confirm their names.

Chairman of the bench, Judith Hornsby, said the pair would remain in custody until the case came to trial at Burnley Crown Court in October.

The court appearance following a police investigation into pick-pocketing of passengers in bus queues.

In May police launched the inquiry after examining CCTV footage from buses.

The CCTV footage, taken from inside the driver's cab, showed a pickpocket placing a jumper over the woman's bag.

Police suspected the person then took her purse from inside the bag.