POLICE are hunting a gang in relation to a number of distraction thefts in the town.

Dorset Police officers said that over the last few days there have been a number of distraction thefts at shops and post offices in the Weymouth area.

A spokesman for the police said: “They are being carried out by a gang of three Asians, two males and one female.

“The first male is short in stature, 5ft 6 tall, in his late 20s, has a beard and speaks poor English.

“The second male is taller than the first, of similar build and wearing a trilby hat. To distract the cashier one asks to change large quantities of cash from £10 notes to £20 notes or vice versa and halfway through, confuse the issue by asking for various denominations in coin, usually 20p.

“During the transactions the offenders use sleight of hand to pocket some of the notes, leaving the premises with more money than they came in with.”

Anyone who has witnessed anything suspicious or has any information about the gang should call Dorset Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.