Watch men steal from unsuspecting woman while she shops

It takes only six minutes for the group of thieves to select their victim

The thief steals from the woman's handbag

If you have a bad habit of putting your wallet in your back pocket or leaving your bag open then this video might make you think twice.

West Midlands Police have released footage of a group of thieves stealing from a woman as she shops, unaware of what’s happening.

In the video the four men took only six minutes to choose their victim before they struck. Then one of the pickpockets “bumps” into the woman while another man standing behind her reaches into her unclosed handbag and makes a grab for her purse.

After two failed attempts they managed to rob £40 from her. Luckily, an eagle-eyed member of store security spotted the incident and apprehended the main offender.

The CCTV footage is one in a series of videos in the West Midlands Police's #SpotThePickpocket campaign which was launched in November last year and aims to raise awareness about pickpockets

Over half of all thefts over the last 12 months have been of mobile phones. The police are now encouraging people to sign up to the UK national property register at www.immobilise.com.

If you have any information about pickpockets or see someone acting suspiciously, please call 101 or the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.