Havant student left scared to go out after thief grabs her handbag

Elisha Tobitt, 19, was walking home from a friend’s house when a 6ft man came out of an alley.

He walked behind her before tugging at her handbag and taking a University of Portsmouth library book and £10 cash.

Elisha, a first-year Criminology student, said: ‘It was quite scary. It makes you not want to go out at all. It’s scary that someone could just do that.

‘Every time I go out now I do get creeped out. I feel like something is going to happen.’

She added: ‘I’m not going to go out at night any more.

‘I’m not going to go out on my own.’

She added: ‘He didn’t say anything, he just tried to grab my bag.

‘He was trying to be quick. He didn’t pull my bag very hard.’

Elisha was walking in Riders Lane, Havant, at 9.15pm on Thursday when the incident happened.

She was walking past the junction with Purbrook Way when she was approached by the man who was wearing a black hoody. She did not see his face and he said nothing.

Elisha said the man walked away quickly when a passing car disturbed him.

Hampshire police are treating the incident as theft.

‘I had heard someone coming, I didn’t think anything of it then I felt the tug on my bag,’ she said.

‘I did panic. I didn’t know what to do. I grabbed hold of my bag and the car came and he let go and ran off.’

Elisha, who was walking alone for the 10 minutes it takes to get back home from her friend’s house, was not injured but has been left shaken by what happened.

She walked quickly home back to her family after the thief ran off.

Now she is hoping police will be able to catch the person who took her items.

Police publicly appealed for witnesses yesterday – and want to speak to the driver of the car as a witness.

PC Daniel Neligan is investigating the incident.

He said: ‘I am appealing for anyone with information about these incidents to come forward and speak to us.

‘We know that at the time the incident happened a car drove past.

‘Were you in this car? Did you see what happened?

‘I would urge anyone with information to get in touch and help us find the person responsible.’

Anyone with information should call Hampshire Constabulary on 101 quoting 44170366873.