AN elderly Bromsgrove couple has been reimbursed with shopping vouchers after being the victim of pickpocketing in Aldi.

Police officers handed £300 of shopping vouchers to Neville Crouch, aged 96 and his wife after they were shopping at Aldi on Sherwood Road on Sunday, June 19.

Two men followed the couple around the supermarket and stole Neville’s wallet from his back pocket.

He didn’t really it was missing until he was at the checkout.

Police arrested 41-year-old Alexandru Mihai and 28-year-old Ionut Munteanu on Monday, June 20 and they appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates Court charged with theft on Wednesday, June 22.

Mihai, of Reading, and Munteanu, from Derbyshire, both pleaded guilty and were given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

PC Joanne Barnes from Bromsgrove Safer Neighbourhood Team said: “This was a calculated and mean crime, targeting an elderly man and callously stealing his wallet.

“Understandably, Mr Crouch was extremely distressed when he realised that he had lost personal items as well as all of his money.

“Our investigation, which was led by a colleague, PC Hutton, quickly identified the two men responsible and they were arrested.

PC Barnes added: “The Bromsgrove team all felt terribly for the couple, conscious of how this would affect them in terms of their monthly shopping and putting food in their fridge and cupboards.

“We submitted an application to the West Mercia Police Community Fund and presented Mr Crouch with £300 of vouchers to replace the money stolen so they didn’t have to go without.”

West Mercia Police’s Police Community Fund aims to help victims of crime who lose out financially as well as support local community ventures.

Mihai and Munteanu also committed purse thefts at Waitrose in Droitwich and Lidl in Worcester.