Pensioner Barbara Graham was devastated when her purse was stolen from her bag – but it wasn’t the money she missed, it was the special keepsake which she treasured from her late sister.

Barbara, 61, was targeted by thieves who stole the precious gift together with £135 in cash and a collection of family photos, while she was out shopping in Morrisons supermarket at Skipton.

And now the former factory manager has pledged her support to a campaign launched by Skipton Police this week to make the public more aware of the risks of purse thefts in the busy run-up to Christmas.

“I can replace the money but what was stolen from my purse that day is irreplaceable,” said Barbara, who lives at Federation Street, Barnoldswick.

“It’s the personal things you miss. My sister Anne died a five years ago but I always kept a penny she had bought me which had a heart shape cut out of it and had a lovely rhyme on it about sisters.

“There were also photos in my purse of me and her when we were youngsters. There were also other family photographs which I really miss including ones of my husband, Peter, and pictures of my two boys and grandchildren. I also had in my purse a gold bracelet which I was taking to have repaired and that went too.”

Barbara is one of 12 women who have had their purses stolen while out shopping in Skipton since the start of September. The latest victim was a 94-year-old woman and police believe elderly women doing their shopping on market days are being targeted.

Police have stepped up their high visibility reassurance patrols and plain-clothed officers are trailing known offenders. Additionally, thanks to funding from the Safer Craven Community Partnership, police are handing out straps, called lanyards, which keep purses securely attached to handbags so lessening the chance of an opportunist theft. Barbara said: “I always get a small trolley and put my bag in front of me. I’m usually very, very careful and I don’t let my bag out of my sight.

“I was talking to the security guard at the supermarket afterwards and he said it can only take a second for the thieves to strike and so I suppose as I reached to get something from the shelf they took their chance.

“I was so angry at myself for letting it happen and I felt a bit of a fool. I didn’t know my purse had gone until I got to the checkout. I wasn’t doing a particularly big shop but I had a lot of money in my purse because it was left over from my holidays and it saved me going to the bank.”

Barbara also had to cope with the inconvenience of replacing bank cards and her driving licence.

“The thieves tried to use my bank and credit cards up in Skipton shortly afterwards but they didn’t manage to get anything. It was such a hassle replacing everything,” added Barbara.

“There are no words to describe these types of thieves. Now when I go shopping I’m watching everyone all the time and if I see anyone with their bag in the trolley I tell them what happened to me. It’s not until you go through something like this yourself that you realise how terrible it is.”

Skipton’s Sgt Paul Cording said: “People need to make sure that when they are in supermarkets that they do not leave their trolleys unattended with their bags inside as this can be easy pickings.

“What we are trying to do is educate people and highlight the issue, whilst also trying to reduce the risk of people becoming victims. We need people to ensure their purses and other valuables are not on show and handbags are carried in front of you and zipped up.”

The lanyards are available from Skipton Police Station on most market days and officers patrolling the town will be handing them out in the town hall at lunchtimes.

For crime prevention advice, contact Skipton police station or the Safer Neighbourhood team on 0845 6060 247.