A Royal Navy veteran has spoken of his relief after a Romanian gang who stole £500 from his bag outside a bank have been jailed.

Edward Stone, 84, of Downs Avenue, Whitstable, was unaware when £500 was taken from his bag outside Barclays Bank in the High Street on March 27.

Mr Stone said: “I put the money in an envelope in my zip-up bag and I only realised it was gone when I got to the counter to pay for my food in Iceland.

“I’m not a vengeful person but I am fairly pleased they have been caught and I feel that their sentence is more than justified.

Maidstone Crown Court heard on Friday that Mr Stone was just one of 12 elderly victims targeted in distraction theft cases across Kent, with more than £3,000 stolen.

Five men and two women pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to commit fraud after the thefts between January and March of this year.

The group, referred to by Judge David Griffith-Jones as an organised gang, acquired personal identification numbers from victims mainly by ‘shoulder surfing’ at supermarket checkouts and cash machines.

Detectives used store CCTV and automatic number plate recognition technology to locate the vehicles when three separate offences were reported on March 27.

Officers stopped and arrested the Romanians in Ilford, east London, when they found bank cards concealed behind a headlight compartment in one of the cars.

Each of the seven defendants will serve a minimum of two years in prison, with 40-year-old Fonica Preda being sentenced to 37 months due to a further offence in Herefordshire in March 2013.

Mr Stone added: “Since the incident I’m a bit more careful and thoughtful of who is around me when out of the house.

“I would expect to be more relaxed shopping in my own country. But thefts like this happen regularly and you have to keep on your guard.”

The great-grandfather of three children was returned £400 from his insurance company and Kent Police have offered to reimburse the remaining £100.

DC Helen King, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said: “The common factor in all these offences was that the offenders targeted elderly or vulnerable people.

“The offenders worked in teams and acted quickly to confuse or distract the victims while stealing their bank cards.

“This has been a long running investigation but its conclusion is very satisfying and we will continue to pursue those who target the most vulnerable in society.”