POLICE are appealing for information following a further handbag theft from Sainsbury's in Redditch.

It happened at the store, on the Abbey trading centre, at about 1.35pm on Saturday, September 10.

A woman in her 40s had finished her shopping and placed her handbag in the passenger footwell of her car with her shopping piled on top of it.

As she turned to move the trolley, a black man opened the door, reaching in and grabbed the brown check handbag, which contained £30 cash, and made off in a small light blue vehicle, believed to be a Mazda 2.

It is being linked to a previous incident at the same store when a woman in her 60s put her shopping in the boot of her car.

While returning her trolley to the bay she saw a small maroon or red car, possibly a Ford Fiesta, reverse and hit a silver car.

She returned to her own vehicle and placed her brown leather handbag, containing about £10 cash, on the passenger seat.

The man she had seen driving the red or maroon car suddenly opened her passenger door and stole her handbag before leaving the scene.

Police are continuing to appeal for the driver of the silver vehicle which was struck by the red or maroon car to come forward.

West Mercia Police crime prevention advisor for North Worcestershire, Peter Aston, said: "Women are being advised to hold their handbags, and not to leave them in the vehicle for even the moment or two it takes to return a trolley.

“It is also a good idea to activate the central locking when they get in the vehicle and are preparing to drive off."