A shopper whose bag was stolen from a buggy as she lifted the baby out fears she was being watched.

The bag was taken on Wednesday as Val Stutter was shopping in Ipswich town centre with her friend’s baby, who she was looking after.

“This wasn’t even on the main road but a cut through from St Nicholas Street to the Unitarian church,” she explained.

“My friend has a shop there, and I parked the pushchair outside, picked the baby up and stepped into the shop to put her down on the floor to play and it was gone.

“I saw the girl, she had distinctive red, curly hair.”

The shop owner chased after the thief but was unable to catch her.

“She had a head start, as soon as she had lifted it she knew she had to run” said Val, who lives in Ipswich.

The distinctive lime green bag, which a brown trim and big bow on the front, contained Val’s house keys, car keys, purse, smart phone and cosmetics.

“I keep going use things and then remembering they were in the bag, lots of items that were not expensive in monetary value but things that were personal. It feels like she has taken a part of me, and it makes me really angry.”

Val estimates the contents of her bag to be worth around £200, and she also had to pay out £85 to change the locks.

She continued: “If you are shopping in town you need to be careful, normally my bag goes on my shoulder and that is where it stays but because I was babysitting for my friend and had the buggy I took my eye of the ball. I was busy with the baby and I put the bag down as I picked her up.”

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