TWO women have been put behind bars after purse-dipping from a pensioner in St Albans city centre.

Herts Advertiser: Sabrina HamidovicSabrina Hamidovic (Image: Archant)

Sabrina Hamidovic, 25, of Brinworth Road, Ilford and Milena Trajkundic, 21, of Luton, were each sentenced to four months in prison for stealing a purse from a woman in her 80s in St Peter’s Street.

The purse, which had been left unattended, contained cash and credit cards and the pair used the woman’s PIN obtained from a letter in her bag to withdraw cash.

Hamidovic and Trajkundic were arrested on Monday, February 18, and pleaded guilty to the theft the following day at Hatfield Remand Court.

Neighbourhood Sergeant Karen Lewis said: “The women had been training for years to commit these offences, so they were very skilled in targeting vulnerable, elderly women and taking their purses quickly without being detected. But we were one step ahead of them and my officers caught them red-handed.

“I’m pleased these women are off the streets and not able to target, distract and prey on shoppers in the city centre.”

As part of a targeted operation to combat purse-dipping in St Albans, 35 people have been arrested in total.

Four of which were arrested in connection with the theft of a purse in St Peter’s Street on February 12 after a search warrant was carried out at an address in Dunstable.

Two women, aged 16 and 41, and two men, aged 18 and 21, are currently on police bail while further enquires are carried out by St Albans Local Crime Unit.