Woman, 79, attacked in '˜terrifying robbery' in Portsmouth street

Police are appealing for witnesses after the assault at around 3.45pm yesterday.,

Detectives say the 79-year-old victim was approached by a man she did not know outside a flat on Victoria Road North, Southsea.

The man then grabbed the woman’s handbag - which contained bank cards, cash, and a Samsung Galaxy mobile phone - and assaulted her, before leaving the scene on foot.

Police say he may have then been joined by a second man as he continued up the street.

The victim suffered minor injuries in the incident, but did not need hospital treatment.

The man has been described as Asian, aged between 18 and 20 years, around 5ft 5ins tall, skinny, with a black goatee style beard.

He was described as wearing a grey tracksuit top, darker coloured tracksuit bottoms, a dark coloured hat or hood that came down over his ears, and trainers with white soles.

The second man was also described as Asian, and was described as wearing a beige jacket.

Officers would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident, or who saw two men of this description in the area at this time.

PC Paul Jennings said: ‘This was a terrifying attack on an elderly member of the public, and we are keen to identify those responsible.

‘This incident happened during daylight hours, so there may have been people around who saw what happened or saw two men matching the descriptions in this area.’

Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Jennings on 101, quoting 44170011901, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.