Pensioner shocked after Chalfont St Peter bag snatch

As she made her way along a footpath near Pennington Road, she felt her arm jerk, and when she looked up she saw a young man running away from her holding her handbag.
She said: "I did not hear anyone approach me from behind so he must have appeared very quietly. I felt a strong pull on my arm and when I looked down my handbag had gone. I looked ahead of me and saw the man running away very quickly holding my bag and realised that he must have ripped it from my hand.
"I shouted out 'Oh my God, he's got my handbag, stop him,' but by that time it was too late. I came back to Glebe House and the police were called."
Since the incident, Mrs Girdler's handbag has been found, but £30 has been taken from her purse which was inside it.
She said: "It was a very shocking incident and I was very shaken up by it. I did not feel right for a few days afterwards. I think it is terrible that elderly people are targeted by these thieves. It is a disgraceful thing to do and I would urge older people to have caution when walking in the village. It is not something that you expect in this area."
Police are still looking for the thief, who was wearing a black jacket and trousers at the time of the incident.
PC Jim Clarke said: "It is horrible that this man has targeted an elderly lady. If anyone has any information at all that they think might help us, I would urge them to give me a call."
If you can help, contact the police on 0845 8 505 505 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.