Pensioner shocked after masked raider snatches handbag

The 67-year-old woman was watching television in the front room of her home at Bullivant Road, Hatfield, near Doncaster, at around 6.30pm on Sunday when the man grab-
bed her handbag and ran off.

Detectives have carried out house-to-house enquiries and used a sniffer dog to try and track down the man and yesterday issued an appeal for help.

Police believe the culprit entered the house through an unlocked front door, but he may have been loitering around the area beforehand.

They say the robber struck in seconds, giving the victim’s husband and daughter, who were upstairs, no time to come to her aid.

The pensioner shouted at the man, who said nothing, and tried to follow him, but he escaped with her handbag and ran towards Station Road. She was unhurt, but was left shocked by the incident.

Her black leather bag contained a black leather purse with £50, three cheque books, bank cards, a pair of Janet Reger glasses worth around £170, and medication.

The burglar is described as around 6ft 3in tall and of muscular build. He was wearing a grey tracksuit top and possibly matching bottoms, white trainers with a dark colour at the side and black knitted gloves and a balaclava.

Said Pc Emma Taylorson: “This was a cowardly attack on an elderly and vulnerable woman and we are urging any witnesses or anyone with information to get in touch. We’d also like to hear from anyone who knows the whereabouts of any of the victim’s belongings.”