A 76-year-old woman fell off her bicycle during a handbag snatch in Headington, Oxford.

The woman was riding along Wilberforce Street, close to The Butchers Arms, at about 5.30pm on Tuesday, when she was approached from behind by a man on a cycle.

The man cycled alongside the woman before snatching her grey handbag, which contained cash, credit and store cards and personal documents. During the course of the incident the woman fell off her bicycle.

Following the incident, the woman, who was unhurt, searched the surrounding area to try and find the thief or her belongings.

Detective Constable Ben Yeats, of the Priority Crime Team in Oxford, said: “Although the woman thankfully did not suffer any injuries, this was still an unsavoury incident.

"She showed both courage and determination in her bid to locate the offender and her property.

“We are putting significant resources into this investigation and are appealing for the public’s help to catch the man responsible.

“If anyone has any information, no matter how minor, please let us know as it may be of value to our investigation. In addition if anyone has found discarded items in the surrounding area which may have belonged to the victim, including a grey handbag, then please let us know.”

The offender is described as white with tanned skin, aged between 20 and 25, of slim build and about 5ft 8in tall. He was wearing dark clothing.

If you have information on this incident, please call Det Con Ben Yeats via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505. If you don’t want to speak to police, or leave your name, call the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.