DISTRACTION thieves were able to steal over £1,000 from a woman after following her home and tricking her out of her bank card.

The ‘shoulder surfers’ were able to catch a glimpse of her PIN number as she used her card at a plant nursery in Shurdington on Saturday April 23.

Unable to speak to her as she left the garden centre, the two men then followed her the 10 minute drive back to her home in Cranham.

When she was inside her house they knocked on the door to ask for directions to Southampton, when they were then able to complete the theft.

Later that day the woman received a phone call from her bank to warn her about several large and suspicious transactions that had been carried out.

The crooks had managed to steal a total of £1,250 through a number of different purchases and been refused a further £4,000 of online transactions.

It comes a spate of 'shoulder surfing' incidents in the last few weeks.

Police are warning residents and shoppers to be extra vigilant when entering their PIN code.

Andy Poole of Stroud Police cautioned extra precautions, but said incidents like this where the victim is followed home are very rare.

Two weeks ago a woman in her 60’s had her credit card stolen from her purse during a similar distraction theft in Waitrose car park in Stroud.