Police in Cheltenham are investigating a series of thefts from elderly church-goers attending services last Sunday.

Three incidents were reported:

• St Mary's church in Prestbury

• First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Bayshill Rd in Cheltenham

• St Lawrence church in Swindon Village.

Further suspicious incidents were reported at St Nicholas Church in Ashchurch Rd, Tewkesbury, and St Michael's church, Whaddon.

All the theft incidents involved three men, and the victims were elderly.

In the first incident, at St Mary's, a 93-year-old woman discovered at the end of the service that her purse, containing cash and a key, had been stolen.

Witnesses said three men in their late teens and of Middle Eastern appearance had been sitting behind the victim, but had left early.

In the second incident, at The First Church of Christ, Scientist, a worshipper was asked to show three men around the church at the end of the service.

While talking to them, he felt a movement at his pocket and checked for his wallet, but found it had gone.

Although suspicious of the men, he was unable to ascertain that they had taken it, and the three left in a pale grey or blue BMW car.

They had Mediterranean complexions: one had dark brown hair which was shaved at the sides, one was in his 20s and wore a dark-coloured 'donkey' jacket.

In the third incident, at St Lawrence church, a parishioner arrived to open up before the service, and left her mobile phone and some cash with her walker frame.

Two men, described as being of Asian appearance, engaged her in conversation, then a third turned up and they all left.

Afterwards, she noticed that her phone and cash had gone.

Following Neighbourhood Watch alerts about the thefts, two men described as being of Middle Eastern origin were reported to have gone into St Nicholas church, Ashchurch, used the toilets and sat at the back for a while before leaving.

And three men were seen acting suspiciously at St Michael's church in Whaddon on the same day.

All five incidents are believed to be linked.

Sunday was a sunny day and there would likely have been a lot of people at these locations who may have seen the suspects arriving or leaving.

Although the thefts may cause some concern, the police said incidents like these are rare and they were following a number of lines of enquiry.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting incident 170 of 7 May 2017.