A 90-year-old woman grabbed on to a man who snatched her purse in Christchurch but was unable to hold him, police say.
The woman was loading groceries into her car in the Countdown carpark in Colombo Street about 12.50pm yesterday when a man tried to "trick" her while stealing her purse from her jacket pocket, Detective Sergeant Ross Tarawhiti said.
"The elderly lady, in her attempts to stop this theft, grabbed the offender but has fallen to the ground as he rode off," Mr Tarawhiti said.
"The victim was shaken but fortunately sustained no significant injuries."
The offender was a Caucasian, aged 30-40, wearing a dark, possibly green, jacket and a hat with a small brim. He also had stubble on his face and smelled of alcohol. The man was about 1.75m tall, of slim to medium build, and was riding a bike.
Police wanted to hear from anyone with information.
