Man grabs money from OAP's purse

A MAN who asked an 82-year-old shopper for change of a pound before grabbing notes from her purse is being sought by police.

Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for witnesses to the theft that took place on Tuesday at the city's Craigleith Retail Park.

At around 10am, the elderly pensioner was waiting at a bus stop having just visited the park's Sainsbury's supermarket.

A man approached her and asked for change of a pound, but while she opened her purse he forced the pound in her hand and removed a number of notes from the wallet section before making off.

The man is described as Mediterranean in appearance with short black hair. He was smartly dressed and wearing a dark blue jacket with small red checkers on it.

Police said they were keeping "an open mind" as to whether the incident was linked with an attack on a pensioner last Thursday which saw a man of a similar description scam her into handing over her cash card and PIN, before withdrawing hundreds of pounds from her account.