A GRANDMOTHER from Sheppey got her stolen purse back after chasing and confronting the thief. Heather Thomas, 53, of Lynmouth Drive, Mnster, Sheppey, had her purse snatched as she boarded a London Underground train at Kensington High Street station.

Mrs Thomas, an area quality manager with the Learning Skills Council based at West Malling, said: "I felt my bag get very light because my purse is quite heavy. I looked around and saw a guy running away and I found my purse was gone."

Mrs Thomas, who has two children and three grandchildren, jumped off the stationary train and pursued the thief. The culprit, who was black and about 6ft tall, jumped back on the same train, hoping it would move off and leave Mrs Thomas on the platform. She added: "I ran in after him, confronted him and told him in no uncertain terms that I wanted my purse back.

"He threw it at me and said 'Go on, you take it,' and then he ran off the train."

The purse only contained £20 but there were also important business cards and precious family photographs inside. Mrs Thomas added: "Someone had taken something of mine and it was the injustice of it."