POLICE are hunting an Eastern European couple who pickpocketed a man in Bovey Tracey.

Officers are also looking into whether the incident is linked with a similar distraction-type theft which happened in a supermarket car park in Newton Abbot.

The man in Bovey Tracey was approached by the couple while he was in the library car park.

They started talking to him in broken English, asking for directions to Exeter airport.

As the man opened a large map, it is believed the woman picked the victim’s pocket. Fortunately, he soon realised what had happened and was able to cancel his bank cards quickly.

Both the man and woman are described as being of Eastern European appearance and the man is said to have badly stained teeth.

The incident happened at about 5pm on Thursday February 4.

Two days earlier, a similar incident happened at Sainsbury’s car park at Penn Inn, Newton Abbot, where a couple speaking broken English asked a woman shopper for directions to the nearest maternity unit.

During the conversation, it is thought the man entered the passenger side of the victim’s car and stole bank cards from a handbag.

Police are appealing for information about the Bovey Tracey incident.

Anyone with information or who saw anything is asked to contact police by calling 101 and quoting crime reference CR/008541/16.