Woman describes her terror as she struggled with Burnley bag snatcher (From Burnley and Pendle Citizen)
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Woman describes her terror as she struggled with Burnley bag snatcher
2:36pm Friday 1st March 2013 in News
By Chris Gee, Reporter
The attack took place in Rylands Street
A WOMAN told today how she fought off would-be handbag thieves, and warned others to be vigilant.
Support worker Lynne Bentley, 54, said she was left shaken, and unable to catch her breath, after the attempted mugging in Burnley, on Sunday, which left her sprawled in the road, and her glasses smashed.
Miss Bentley was walking with her friend Julie Taylor, 47, in Rylands Street, Duke Bar, at 5.10pm, when two young men attempted to snatch her bag.
It happened just four days after another woman was robbed at the same spot.
She said: “We’d left the Wheat-sheaf pub and were walking tow- ards Briercliffe Road.
“We passed two lads standing near a wall and then, a few sec-onds later, one of them grabbed me from behind and pulled on my bag.
“It took me totally by surprise.
“The struggle lasted a few seconds. I was terrified.
“He was really pulling at my bag, but I wasn’t letting go.
“They eventually ran off, but I was thrown from the pavement to the road, and it broke my glasses.
“I couldn’t catch my breath for a while through the shock.
“I’m so thankful Julie was with me. If I was on my own, I don’t know what would have happened.”
The attack on Miss Bentley, who lives in Duke Bar, came shortly after another attack in Rylands Street.
At 5.40pm on Wednesday, Febr- uary 20, a 22-year-old woman was walking alone with her handbag over her left shoulder.
The handbag was pulled from behind and dropped to the ground.
Her black leather River Island handbag, and contents, were stolen by the attacker who ran off into St Andrew’s Street with a second man.
The suspects are believed to be Asian, aged 17 to 18, and slim.
They were wearing black hooded tops and dark-coloured trousers.
DC Ian McLean, from Pennine CID, said: “These are serious offences.
“I’d urge anyone with information regarding these offences to contact me at Pennine CID on 01282 472142.”
