A WOMAN who tried to con staff at a Hampshire shop by falsely claiming a dead girl was her daughter is being linked to another incident in the same town.

As reported, the woman was caught on CCTV inside the Candy Room sweet shop in Eastleigh, where she claimed she was the mother of Sophie Barringer who died more than ten years ago, but whose name lives on in the Sophie’s Appeal charity.

The woman asked for around £60 from the till and claimed the manager had promised her the money in the incident on August 6.

Now the woman who has been described as “lowest of the low” and “vile” by the mother of Sophie Barringer, has been linked to another incident in Eastleigh at the Leigh Road Sainsbury’s store.

Police say a woman entered the store and told staff she had been promised a refund by a senior member of staff because she was unhappy with a product she had bought.

The same woman returned a few days later making the same claim, and was offered the refund.

It was later established that the woman was not entitled to the refund and the matter was reported to the police.

This incident happened in May 14 .

The mother of Sophie Barringer, Lin Barringer said that since the story was published last Wednesday people have got in contact and provided her more information that has been passed on to police.

She said: “Two people have contacted me saying the name of the person they believe who did this.

“I think the Daily Echo publishing the story will bring her to justice and the people of Eastleigh are quite angered by the fact she can pretend to say that Sophie was her daughter.”

Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101.