A BRAVE mother jumped on to the bonnet of a Ford Escort in a bid to stop thieves escaping with her handbag. Yvonne Goodwin was shopping at the Asda store in Swanley with her three-year-old son Matthew when the thieves struck.

She was strapping Matthew in her car without realising she had left her handbag in her shopping trolley.

When she looked up she saw it being stolen by a man and three women in the red Escort who were trying to drive away. Miss Goodwin, 45, of ran over to the exit to try to block the car leaving the car park and when it tried to drive off, she jumped on the bonnet in an attempt to stop the thieves getting away.

Miss Goodwin, of Alder Way, Swanley, said: "It all happened so quickly. When I found out they had stolen my handbag I was just so angry. I tried to block them from getting out the exit but they managed to find another way out so I ran after them and threw myself on the bonnet saying 'give me back my handbag'.

"The driver was a bloke and he started revving up the car to try and shake me off. He wouldn't even look me in the eyes. In the end a car park security guard had to drag me off otherwise they would have run me over and they drove away.

She added: "I just wish I was quicker and had thrown a trolley in the way of the car or something."

The thieves managed to get away with the handbag which contained her visa card, cheque book, income support and family support book and her passport. Nobody has yet been arrested for the incident and police are appealing for witnesses.

The man is described as being in his early 20s, thin, with collar length, curly dark brown hair.

Anyone with information is asked to telephone police on 01474 331045.