A ROBBER snatched a handbag from an 85-year-old woman as she stood at a bus stop in March.

The elderly woman was approached by a man at about 11am yesterday as she waited at the bus stop in Creek Road, near to Shaftesbury Avenue.

He asked her for directions to Tesco but then grabbed her handbag and ran away towards the level crossing, dropping the bag but taking the victim’s purse.

The robber is described as scruffy, with yellow teeth. He was wearing a short navy bomber jacket. The victim was shaken but not injured.

Police are also investigating two attempted robberies on Saturday, which may be linked to each other but not to the handbag snatch.

The first happened at just after 10pm near Sainsbury’s, in Creek Road, when a 19-year-old man said he was approached by two men who demanded he hand over possessions.

He refused to hand anything over and the men, who were wearing dark hooded tops and dark tracksuit bottoms, fled along Creek Road.

The second happened a short time later in City Road when a man in his 20s was approached by a man wearing a grey hooded top who demanded his mobile phone. He assaulted the victim but then fled empty-handed in the direction of Station Road.

Detective Sergeant Matt Swash said: “We believe the handbag snatch was an opportunist crime where the offender despicably took advantage of the victim’s vulnerability.

“I would appeal to anyone with any information or who saw people matching the descriptions given in the area to contact police.”

Anyone with information should contact Det Sgt Swash on 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.