Alderley Edge residents and businesses are being urged to be vigilant following a distraction theft which occurred in the village centre on Saturday, 21st October.
A member of staff at Bridgfords had their mobile phone stolen off their desk when a man in his early 20's with an Eastern European accent came into the branch during the afternoon.
He distracted the victim by asking for help reading from a sheet of paper and then took the estate agent's mobile phone.
The suspect is described as a tall man, of slim build. He was wearing a black cap, a black jacket and Nike tracksuit bottoms.
Police are advising people to be extra vigilant because, whilst there have been no other similar incidents in the local area, thieves often operate in gangs and family groups and may well revisit the village.
Police Sergeant John O'Driscoll said "The technique is a well-used one, commonly used in city centres but is relatively rare for the Wilmslow and Alderley Edge area.
"On this occasion CCTV has been checked and is not of sufficient quality to contemplate an ID. The 'find my iPhone' feature has been disabled which means location of the phone can't be established."
Anyone with any information in relation to the incident is asked to contact Cheshire Police on 101 quoting IML 217873.
