British Transport Police have released CCTV pictures of a man they want to speak to in connection with thefts from two sleeping passengers onboard a train from Waterloo to Winchester.
Officers have warned passengers to remain vigilant and appealed for witnesses to the incident, which happened between 1.05am and 3am on Sunday, July 17.
The first victim, a 29-year-old woman from Winchester, boarded the train at Waterloo and sat in one of the first-class carriages. The second victim, from Southampton, had also boarded the other first-class carriage of the same service. Both passengers had then fallen asleep.
The man wanted by police boarded the train at Clapham Junction at 1.16am, sat behind the first victim and took a mobile phone and purse from her coat pocket.
At this point he was wearing a black bandana, white long sleeved sweater with light blue jeans, and was carrying an umbrella and a black holdall with a white logo on one side.
A short while later he entered the second first class carriage minus the bandana and long sleeved shirt, and sat across from the second victim before stealing an MP3 player and a bottle of aftershave.
PC Paul Moodie, the investigating officer, said: “From our enquiries, we believe that the suspect left the train at Basingstoke at 2.45am. We are very keen to hear from anyone who recognises the man pictured in the CCTV image, as we want to identify and speak to him in connection with the incident."
Anyone with information about the theft should contact British Transport Police on freephone 0800 405040 quoting reference B10 LSA of 31/08/11.
