Supermarket criminals are repeatedly targeting a large High Wycombe store, with detectives hunting the thieves preying on vulnerable elderly shoppers.

In recent months, police have reported a series of shocking incidents where unsuspecting pensioners were being picked out and robbed at Morrisons.

There have also been five violent or sexual assaults at the Temple End store in the last six months as well – including three in April – with more than 30 crimes reported in April and May alone.

Last week, police issued CCTV pictures of a man they were searching for after a 76-year-old woman fell victim to a distraction theft.

The pensioner was returning her trolley on Tuesday, June 28, when she was approached by a man asking for directions to the hospital.

During this time, a second person stole the woman’s bank cards from her handbag in her vehicle.

The offenders then used the card to withdraw an undisclosed amount of money from her account.

It was just the latest in a long-line of reported incidents.

Morrisons, High Wycombe.

Statistics for June are not currently available, but over the first five months of 2016, 55 incidents were reported as taking place at the store on the police.uk website.

In total there have been four thefts from the person, eight incidents of shoplifting and 33 ‘other thefts’, which includes theft by an employee, blackmail and making off without payment, this year.

All of the crimes are understood to have taken place on the land owned by Morrisons, including the store, petrol station and car park.

The supermarket appears to attract more crime than other similar size stores in the area, with police alerted to only seven crimes at Tesco in Loudwater during the same period in 2016.

Morrisons, who hire security guards, have pointed to their success in helping police catch people responsible for crimes at the store.

A Morrisons spokesman said: “The figure reflects both our success and that of the Police in catching shoplifters and tackling crime around our store.”