Police have thief's number

Police have released the mobile phone number of a man who they believe stole credit cards and then impersonated an officer.

The thief is believed to have telephoned the Shaftesbury Tourist Information Centre shortly after he stole two handbags containing cash and credit cards on 3 August.

During the call, in which he pretended to be a police officer investigating the thefts, he tried to make the victims tell him the cash machine number to the cards.

The mobile number, traced by Dorset Police using the 1471 facility, was 07747 140 063.

Pin number

A Dorset Police spokesman said: "The decision to release the telephone number has been taken after all other lines of enquiry have drawn a blank - and police hope that someone will recognise the number."

Pc Steve Ellis said: "A man tricked the staff into leaving the centre unoccupied and a second person was able to steal the property without being seen.

"A short while later a man pretending to be a police officer telephoned the centre and tried to obtain the pin number for one of the credit cards.

"I've found out that the phone this number refers to is a pre-pay telephone and I am appealing to anyone who recognises the number to contact me," he said.