‘Hero’ saved woman from handbag theft

A 60-YEAR-OLD woman was left ‘shaking like a leaf’ after a thief tried to steal her handbag and a ‘hero’ stopped him.
WH 251114 Elaine Wales, had her handbag stolen while at Morrisons, Worthing. Photo by Derek Martin SUS-141125-163214001WH 251114 Elaine Wales, had her handbag stolen while at Morrisons, Worthing. Photo by Derek Martin SUS-141125-163214001
WH 251114 Elaine Wales, had her handbag stolen while at Morrisons, Worthing. Photo by Derek Martin SUS-141125-163214001

Elaine Wales, from Tarring, became the victim of an attempted handbag theft in Morrison’s car park, Newland Street, Worthing, at 11.45am on Tuesday.

She finished shopping and put her bags into the boot of her car before turning her back to the car briefly to put her trolley in a trolley park space very near to the car.

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“I heard the boot open and close again and saw a man run away with my handbag,” she said.

“I just screamed out ‘stop, he’s got my handbag’. I was running after him as he went down an alleyway.

“Luckily, a hero caught the guy. An ex-policeman coming the other way said ‘what you doing mate?’ and the guy threw the bag on the floor.”

Elaine said there was no one in the car park at the time which is why she did not lock her car when she took her trolley away.

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She said she thought the man must have been watching her from behind the nearby recycling bins because he acted so rapidly.

“I could not believe that within one minute of me shutting the boot and turning he was there. He must have been watching me.”

The offender was white, about 5ft 6in, with dark slicked-back hair. He was wearing grey tracksuit bottoms and a black leather jacket and was carrying a bright red rucksack.

Sussex Police said anyone with information should email [email protected] quoting serial 394 of 25/11, call 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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