Thieves on a moped rode up to a couple as they made their way home from a family get-together and sped off with a handbag full of items valued at more than £1,000.

Ian Boswell, 42, and Karen Lane, 52, were walking down Parrock Road towards South Hill Road in Gravesend at around 11pm when it happened, with hundreds of pounds of valuables and almost £500 of cash stolen.

Police are investigating and two people are believed to have been riding the vehicle, but the couple do not hold out much hope of the handbag being recovered.

Mr Boswell said: “I was walking home with my wife Karen. We had just left my sister-in-law’s and had crossed Echo Square coming down Parrock Road.

“It was quite quiet, there was nobody else about, and it was coming up to midnight.

"It came out of nowhere. I didn’t hear the moped to be honest, but within what seemed like a couple of seconds I felt a hand push me on the chest.

“I was walking on the kerbside carrying my wife’s handbag and she was holding my left hand.

"It was the driver of the moped who pushed me, so my body went to the left and they grabbed the bag.

“Before I had even turned and said to Karen they’d taken her handbag, they had gone. Even now it still seems very surreal.

“When it happened it wasn’t scary because it happened so quickly, it was more ‘did that just happen?’ It was the next day that it started to sink in, really.”

It happened on Sunday night.

Mr Boswell, who is an assistant head teacher, has lived in South Hill Road with his wife for 12 years and said they had never come across anything like it in the area.

Among the items stolen were pairs of sunglasses and reading glasses adding up to around £500. The handbag was worth about £80.

Mr Boswell said: “Nobody was hurt, most importantly. It’s frustration more than anger because I feel that I can’t protect my own wife.

"What if Karen had been alone? What if she’d had her handbag on her arm? She could’ve been dragged into the road, she could’ve been hurt.

“They did it because they don’t know any better, but it’s a horrible feeling to feel like this can happen anywhere at anytime, even in a nice area.

"Hopefully this can warn people to be careful about walking home at that time of night.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 01474 366149, quoting reference 09-1444, or the anonymous Crimestoppers hotline on 0800 555111.