SHOPS in the centre of Malvern have been hit by a spate of shoplifting in recent days.

Thieves hit twice at fashion retailer Fat Face and twice at Boots the Chemist, both in Church Street.

The series of thefts began on Wednesday, August 5, when a white male entered Fat Face at about 1pm with an empty rucksack on his back.

He spent some time in the store, and after he left, a staff member became suspicious and looked at CCTV footage.

This revealed the man making his way to the back of the shop and picking up various items. He then goes out of sight of the cameras about three times before leaving the shop, with his backpack now looking full.

He is described as about six feet tall with short dark hair, shorter on the sides than the top. He was wearing jeans and a dark blue t-shirt, and his rucksack was described as navy/grey.

The next day, a man and woman entered Boots between 2.10pm and 2.15pm. The woman was seen top take a bright orange bag from her pocket and put some bottles of Rimmel foundation in it, while the man appeared to keep a lookout. They then left without making any attempt to pay.

The man is described as white, about 30, under six feet tall and stocky, with short hair and wearing dark clothing. The woman is white, in her early 30s, about five feet four, slim with long dark hair held in a clip and wearing dark clothing.

On Saturday, between 11.45am and noon, a man entered Boots and put various L'Oreal skincare products in his bag before walking out of the shop quickly, setting off security alarms. He was described as average height, slim but muscular, and wearing a dark baseball cap, a red top, jeans and bright red trainers.

And the same day between 12.30pm and 12.45pm, two men went into Fat Face and and made their way to the men's section at the back of the shop before leaving. Customers in the shop told staff that they thought the men has stolen items, and staff found that several pairs of denim shirts had been taken.

One man is described as white, short and stocky with a shaved head, wearing a t-shirt and long shorts, and the other was tall and slim with short dark hair, and wearing a dark navy or black t-shirt with a white logo on the front, and a dark jacket.