An 88-year-old woman described how a wonderful day out with her best friend was ruined in just seconds after she was mugged close to her home.
The elderly Norwich woman, who did not want to be named, had spent Monday with her 84-year-old friend in Great Yarmouth where they went shopping and had a 'Spoons lunch.
She recalled the beautiful sunny weather and laughed at how impressed she was with the cleanliness of the pub toilets.
The good mood stayed with them when they caught the bus back to the city and when walked to their Doughty's care home in Golden Dog Lane just before 6pm, when the evening began to turn dusk.
Suddenly, she let out a scream when a man jumped out between a car and van and grabbed her bag, just metres away from her front door.
The elderly victim said she held on to her bag and beat the man with her walking stick but got knocked to the ground.
'He dragged me to the floor because I wouldn't let go,' she said. 'I screamed out 'he's got my bag' but it was over in seconds. He ran off with it towards the Colgate car park.
'We had such a lovely day and this completely ruined it.'
Although bruised and badly shaken from the ordeal, she is determined not to let it stop her from going out. Instead, it has given her the courage to carry on as normal.
'I won't let that beat me,' she said. 'I have got to this age, they can't stop me now. 'I am angry, it's a good thing it wasn't one of those frail old people but I was livid.'
Her friend said: 'She's a remarkable and stern woman.'
A spokesman from Doughty's said incidents like this were rare, but added: 'They are still very shocking when they do happen.
'Fortunately neither of the two older ladies who were involved were seriously hurt and we been supporting them by giving them time to talk through what happened with us.'
Police officers are keen to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has information concerning it.
Anyone with information should contact T/Det Con Bob Walker-Hall at Norwich CID on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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