Hunt for robber after pensioner attack

The 66-year-old woman suffered a bruised right arm after she fell to the floor when the raider pulled her bag from her shoulder.

The incident took place in Finchale Avenue, Billingham, at 5.15pm on Christmas Eve.

The robber, who was dressed in black, fled with her bag containing a purse, bankcards and cash as well as a 30mg of Codeine Phosphate tablets.

A Cleveland Police spokesman said: "This medication could be dangerous if taken by someone it wasn’t prescribed for and we would urge anyone who finds any of the items from the handbag to contact police.

"We would also like to hear from any witnesses to the robbery or anyone who may be able to identify the suspect. He is described as white, fairly tall, and aged 20-30 years."

Contact Stockton Operational Crime Team via the 101 number, quoting event 233490, if you can help their inquiries.