A PAIR of thieves walked out of a Malmesbury shop with £300 from the till after distracting the assistant.

Police are warning local shopkeepers to be on their guard following the incident on Wednesday afternoon.

The men, who were described as being of mixed race with one in his 30s and the other in his 40s, kept staff busy by asking questions and making several requests. One of the men then took the cash from the till and they both left.

Sgt Martin Alvis warned shops in small market towns and were becoming a more attractive target for thieves who were being driven out of larger shopping centres by increased security.

“We do not believe these offenders are local and I would urge shop staff at this busy time of year to be on the lookout for these types of crimes,” he said.

“This is a case of everyone looking out for each other and acting on their suspicions. Malmesbury has a strong sense of pride and ownership and I am confident that together we can drive these criminals away from our town.”

Anyone with information can call 101.