Police are appealing for information after a corwardly thief made off with a pensioner's handbag in West Lothian.
The incident happened on Saturday (9 November) evening, at around 5:30pm on High Academy Street, in Armadale.
A 76-year-old woman was approached by a man who grabbed her handbag with such force that the strap snapped, causing the woman to fall to the ground.
The victim suffered minor injuries and has been left badly shaken.
The suspect ran off along High Academy Street, taking the handbag, which included a number of personal items, with him.
He is white, around 6 ft. tall, with dark eyes and a pale complexion and is thought to be aged between his late teens to early 20s, with a slim build.
He was wearing a black Puffa style jacket with a white hooded top underneath and black trousers.
Officers are appealing for anyone with private CCTV footage and dash cam footage to get in touch.
Detective Constable Tony Gilhooley said: “This is a despicable and cowardly crime, targeting an elderly lady in the street.
"I am appealing to anyone who was in the area around the time of the incident to contact us. It’s possible you noticed the man running up the street and thought nothing of it at the time or saw him walking in the street prior to the incident. If you have any information which could assist our inquiries, please do contact us.”
Anyone with information is asked call CID officers at Livingston Police Station via 101, quoting incident number 3149 of 9 November 2019. Alternatively, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously
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