Thief posing as a Big Issue seller

The man, who is 5ft 7in tall and of small build, has been visiting businesses in York, Ripon and Harrogate since the beginning of April this year, claiming to be selling the magazine.

He has entered premises, including estate agents and hairdressers, where he placed a bundle of Big Issues on the counter and offered to sell copies. After he left, the businesses said they discovered the theft of mobile phones.

The man has short black hair and was unshaven at the time of the offences. It is believed he may be of Asian origin and speaks in broken English. Jim Allen, an investigator in the crime management unit at York, said the man does not show any identification or wear the correct uniform.

Anyone with information should phone the 0845 6060247 quoting reference number 12110079715.

Caroline Price, director of The Big Issue in the north, said all genuine Big Issue sellers wore a badge with a unique vendor number on it, which should correspond to the number written on the top right of the magazine.

She said if members of the public were suspicious about a rogue vendor, they should phone the Leeds Big Issue on 0113 243 9027.