POLICE believe they could be on the trail of a gang responsible for a series of thefts in Winchester.

They have now released images of a man they want to speak to after the same hotel, the Marwell, was targeted on three occasions.

The latest incident saw a driving licence and debit card stolen from the room of a guest on January 22.

The victim received a call the following morning from someone pretending to be from his bank and saying there had been suspicious activity on his card. They asked for further details including his PIN number.

The victim didn't reveal his PIN, but thieves still used his card to withdraw £7,000 from his account in Birmingham.

The theft follows a near identical crime in September last year.

On that occasion the card was used to withdraw £2,900 at the Halifax branch on Above Bar Street, Southampton.

A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: “This is the third incident of this nature at the location since September. We believe the man in the CCTV may have been working as part of a group and we will be looking to see if the previous incidents are linked.”

The man in the image was wearing a blue, lightly quilted jacket and a blue shirt.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact PC Caz Bulpit at Winchester police station by phoning 101. Mini-Com users can call the police on 18001 101.

Information can be given anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.