Two men and two women have been arrested in connection with purse-dipping thefts across the county.

The following people have been charged with conspiracy to steal, relating to 12 offences alleged to have taken place in St Albans, Dacorum, East Herts and Broxbourne between July and November 7. The oldest victim was 98.

• Carmen Feraru, 43, of Longbridge Road, Dagenham.

• Razvan Dorosin, 32, of Longbridge Road, Dagenham.

• Marius Hewson, 39, of Longbridge Road, Dagenham.

They are in police custody and are due to appear at Hatfield Remand Court today (Friday).

A 47-year-old woman from Dagenham, who was also arrested in connection with the investigation, has been released under investigation while enquiries continue.

The arrests follow an operation to tackle purse dipping by the Harpenden Safer Neighbourhood Team, the St Albans Local Crime Unit and the Specialist Investigation Team.

Harpenden Neighbourhood Sergeant Jordon Fox said: “There is some simple crime prevention advice that people can follow to help them reduce their chances of being targeted by thieves.

“Please keep your bag on you at all times with it zipped up and be aware of people distracting you or brushing past you. Please also keep an eye out for elderly or vulnerable members of the public, who unfortunately are sometimes targeted by thieves.”

If you see a crime in progress, call 999. If reporting after the event, please dial 101 or report online www.herts.police.uk/Report/Report.