AN ELDERLY Sheppey woman desperately clung on to her handbag as a mugger tried to steal it. The 81-year-old woman was walking along Winstanley Road, Sheerness, towards the town centre when the young hooded male ran towards her and grabbed at her bag.

Another woman and her son were just letting themselves into their home when they noticed the commotion. The mugger failed to get the bag and ran off. The son gave chase but he was unable to catch up with him.

Theresa King, the daughter of the victim, said "She (her mother) is quite able and a fighter. She was not going to let go of her bag without a fight.

"I would like to thank all those who helped her, especially the police who were at the scene quite quickly. I wanted to show my appreciation and give thanks where it's due."

The man is described as being aged around 20, about 5ft 10ins tall and of a stocky build. He was wearing a beige hooded jacket.

The incident happened at about at 11.30am on Friday. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.