AN ELDERLY woman has spoken of her horror after con artists stole her bank card and went on a £3,800 spending spree.

The 77-year-old Tetbury woman came forward after a CCTV image of the alleged perpetrators appeared in the Standard following its release from police.

Since the pensioner was tricked in Tetbury on November 16, others have fallen prey to similar scams in other parts of the Cotswolds and police have made fresh appeals for shoppers to be vigilant.

The pensioner, who asked not to be named after the stress of the ordeal, was at Tesco in Tetbury when a woman with a foreign accent approached asking for change for a £2 coin.

“Stupidly I got my purse out and opened it – she put in the £2, which at the time I thought was strange," she told the Standard.

"Of course I didn’t know my card had been taken. That was at about 1.30pm."

Police believe the thief was accompanied by a man.

Together, they withdrew money at 1.45pm and 1.48pm, before moving to Cirencester Argos where they spent £90.

They then travelled to Bristol and withdrew £2,000 and then onto Redditch, withdrawing £900.

In just 24 hours, by the time the woman realised her card was missing, the scammers had stolen £3,800.

Barclays refunded the woman's money, but it was the mental effects, not the financial effects, that left scars.

“I was frightened, and I don’t mind saying that I went to pieces a bit,” she said.

“I have got ME and the stress of it made me ill. These people are ruthless – they don’t care how much damage they do to their victims,” she said.

“I told the woman at my bank that I felt foolish and she said ‘don’t feel foolish, this is there career’.”

Following another distraction theft on January 11 in Cirencester an E-fit image of the culprit was printed in the Standard.

“The woman in that picture was the same one who distracted me. I’ll remember that face forever.”

Police believe the fraudsters work in pairs – one will work inside the store, peaking at the card number when the shopper is paying, and the other will try and swipe the card when they go to load their shopping.

The 77-year-old wants to alert people that the woman may be wearing glasses when she strikes.

“If I had a message for other people it would be what police told me – if anyone with a foreign accent approaches you, just walk away and don’t help anyone. But that’s a very sad message.

“I just wish I’d known what was happening. She’s lucky she didn’t get punched in the nose.”