‘Highly professional’ female thieves steal luxury watches in 14 thefts across South of England

Two young women dubbed the ‘Rolex Rippers’ who have stolen expensive watches from the wrists of wealthy elderly men have now struck at least 14 times.

The crooked duo are believed to be operating in affluent areas of southern England.

Several thefts have taken place in the car parks of exclusive golf clubs and the vast majority of victims have been lone men aged in their 70s.

In a lot of the cases the pair have posed as a charity workers with clipboards and have stolen watches from their victims without them realising as they sign a petition.

Other times they have been less subtle and simply ripped the expensive timepieces from off the wrists of men who have been left shocked and bruised afterwards.

It is thought the pair have struck seven times in Poole, Wimborne, Wareham, Ferndown, Highcliffe and Poundbury in Dorset in the past two months.

One theft occurred in the car park of £2,000 a year Ferndown Golf Club while another happened close to golf club in Poole.

Over the border in Hampshire, there have been seven near-identical robberies that have happened in the past year, with two taking place in golf club car parks.

Alan Bruce who had his Rolex watch stolen by the  two women dubbed the ‘Rolex Rippers’

The crime spree committed by the two women where they have managed to snatch watches

The crime spree committed by the two women where they have managed to snatch watches

In July 2020, Hampshire Police issued e-fit descriptions of two women who mugged a 78-year-old man of his Rolex watch in Emsworth, Hants. At the time police said there had been four similar thefts of Rolex watches.

Officers have warned elderly men to be on their guard while wearing high-value watches while out in public.

Both women are said to be aged in their 20s or 30s and between 5ft 2ins and 5ft 9ins tall. They both have dark hair and Eastern European accents although some victims have believed them to be Spanish.

Alan Bruce, who lost his £14,000 gold Rolex watch, described the pair as ‘highly trained professionals’ who are likely to be part of a wider gang.

Mr Bruce, a 63-year-old marine engineer, was walking in Wimborne town centre on July 15 when he was approached by the pair.

He said: ‘One had a clipboard and the taller one was making out she was deaf and they wanted signatures for a petition for a new deaf centre.

‘I signed it with my left hand, which was the same hand my watch was on, and one of them then gabbed hold of me and went to hug me. I straight away put my hand on my pocket where my wallet was and pushed her off and walked away.

‘I walked around the corner and realised they had taken my watch. By the time I went back they had gone. It was just a few seconds so they must have had a car waiting for them.

Alan Bruce's Rolex that was stolen in happier times before it was snatched by the crooks

Alan Bruce’s Rolex that was stolen in happier times before it was snatched by the crooks

‘I have worked in some real hot spots around the world and consider myself to be streetwise and this is the first time I have been hit.

‘These women are highly rained professional dippers who know what they are doing.

‘They are probably part of a bigger gang from London and are targeting soft targets in affluent areas of the south.’

The recent spate of robberies appears to have begun on May 19 at Stoneham Golf Club, near Southampton, followed by an identical incident a week later at Wellow Golf Club, near Romsey, Hants.

Both times the pair got their victims to sign a petition before covertly stealing their Rolexes.

On May 30 they turned up in Bingham Avenue, Poole, close to Parkstone Golf Club.

A man aged 70s was stopped him in the street by one of the women who grabbed his arm and forcefully removed his Rolex before getting into a car.

On June 11 one of them got into a car being driven by a man aged in his 80s in a car park in Wareham.

When the man told her to get out she grabbed and scratched at his arm. Only later did he realise his watch had been taken in the bizarre exchange.

Then on July 14 they turned up at Ferndown Golf Club where one off them approached a man aged in his 70s in the car park, grabbed his arm and took the watch from his wrist.

She got into a waiting vehicle, believed to be a black Ford Focus, and made off from the scene.

The next day they targeted Mr Bruce in Wimborne.

On July 17 the two women targeted a man aged in his 70s in a car park in the retirement town of Highcliffe, Dorset.

They approached him and grabbed the Rolex from off his left wrist and made off in a car.

The victim was left with bruising to his wrist and in a state of distress at the loss of the sentimental timepiece.

Two hours later they turned up in Prince Charles’ model town of Poundbury where they pulled the charity petition scam on a pensioner.

As he signed the petition she grabbed his arm and stole his Rolex without him noticing.

The most recent theft happened on Monday when another man in his 70s was approached in a car park at Baiter Park, Poole, by the pair.

As he signed their petition one of them grabbed and hugged the victim at which point she removed his Rolex without him noticing.

Dorset Police have not yet officially linked the thefts but have acknowledged ‘a number of incidents of a similar nature’.

Police Constable Jim Perks, of Christchurch police, said: ‘We have had a number of incidents of a similar nature and I would again remind people to be vigilant and be particularly careful if you are wearing any high value watches or jewellery and are approached in suspicious circumstances.’

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