TWO despicable thieves have been named by the courts after admitting to stealing the wallet of an 82-year-old man.

It was reported on Friday that Cheshire Police had arrested three people on suspicion of theft and fraud as part of Operation Escapade.

This was in relation to the pickpocketing theft from an elderly pensioner in Warrington town centre the previous week.

The force confirmed that on Wednesday, September 25, officers were called to reports of a distraction theft in the town centre.

It was reported that an 82-year-old man had his wallet stolen, and that this contained £400 in cash.

It was also reported that the man’s bank cards were used by fraudsters to withdraw a further £1,000 from his account.

Following CCTV enquiries, Cheshire Police identified three suspects who were circulated as wanted, with officers travelling to arrest them in Oxfordshire on Thursday.

The three men aged 22, 33 and 47 were all collected by officers to be questioned in custody.

Two people were later charged with theft from a person and fraud by false representation, and they appeared before Warrington Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

The two charged were Florin Moga, aged 33 and of Foleshill Road, Coventry, and Iulian Vladu, aged 47 and of Sheffield Street, Scunthorpe.

The particulars of the theft charges alleged that the pair stole a wallet containing £400 cash, a driving licence and other miscellaneous cards from a named male victim on September 25 in Warrington.

Moreover, the fraud charges alleged that they dishonestly made a false representation to cause a loss to the same male victim to the value of £1,000 by withdrawing it from his bank account.

This was again dated September 25 in Warrington, and with intent to make a financial gain for themselves.

Vladu also faced a third separate allegation of theft from a person, again in Warrington but on a separate male victim on October 16 last year, and of a wallet and its contents.

The duo entered guilty pleas to all charges put to them, and they will be sentenced at the same court in November, where they will be assisted by a Romanian interpreter.

The delay is to allow for the preparation of pre-sentence reports, with both defendants granted conditional bail on an electronically monitored curfew.

After arresting the pair, Cheshire Police said: “If you come to Warrington to commit crime, we will come to you to deliver justice.”