Bogus police officer steals four figure sum from tourists outside Holyrood

The theft happened on Saturday.

Published 23rd Nov 2016

A man who claimed to be a police officer stole a large sum of cash from two tourists outside the Scottish Parliament.

The man and woman, who were visiting from east Asia, were approached by two men who started a conversation.

One of the men claimed to be a police officer and showed them some form of badge identification.

Once the pair left, the couple checked their belongings and found a four-figure sum of money had been stolen.

The incident happened at around 1.30pm on Saturday November 19 in the Holyrood area of Edinburgh.

The first man is described as east Asian, with a slim to medium build, 5ft 7in, aged 30-35, with short black hair and unshaven. He was wearing a brown jacket and carrying a black backpack.

The second man is described as white, with medium build, 6ft, aged around 50, with a deep scar on his right cheek. He spoke with an English accent, and was wearing a black beanie hat and a full-length black coat.

Inspector David Robertson said: This is currently being treated as an isolated incident and we are conducting a number of inquiries in an effort to trace the two men responsible.

As part of this, we're appealing for anyone who may have been in the area and saw these two men, or who recognises their descriptions, to come forward.