An online appeal has been set up after an elderly woman was reported to have been robbed of her purse containing £160 whilst she was shopping in March town centre last week.

The lady, said to be in her 80s, was shopping in M&Co before she got to the till and realised her purse containing her pension money had gone missing.

It is believed that she had withdrawn £160 at a cash point in town to pay for her gas, electric and shopping for the week.

Kevin Keil set up a ‘Go Fund Me’ page with the intention of getting the woman’s money back. He set a target of £300.

People have already donated more than £300 within just days of the campaign being online including anonymous donations from across the UK.

Mayor of March Jan French has offered to take flowers to the woman’s home “on behalf of the good people of March”.

Mr Keil said: “Her purse contained over £160 which she had just drawn out from her pension to top-up her gas and electricity meters and do some shopping.

“How can anyone be so heartless as to prey on the elderly and vulnerable? Let’s see if we can raise some money to put back into a new purse.”

To donate, visit: www.gofundme.com/61wjah4

In a separate incident a woman reported that “my 78 year old friend also had her purse stolen last week in March.

“Within 30 minutes they had taken £1,000 from her account.”

She said the two men she suspects of the theft appeared to be part of a gang that overlooked her when she entered her pin number into c cash machines.

Later a man started talking to her in a local supermarket “and this is when she believes her purse was taken”.