A COWARDLY thief knocked a 76-year-old woman to the ground during a despicable attack in Wishaw.

The pensioner has been left "distressed" from the robbery, which happened at around 5.50pm on Saturday.

The victim was walking along a footpath in Coltness – near the junction of Magnolia Street and Rowan Street – when a man approached from behind and grabbed her handbag, causing her to fall to the ground.

The suspect then made off with the bag, containing cash and personal items.

Although the victim was badly shaken by the incident, she did not require medical treatment.

Officers have been carrying out door-to-door enquiries and will be seeking any CCTV opportunities as they continue to investigate in the area.

Detective Constable Ross McLenaghan at Wishaw CID said: "This cowardly individual chose to target an elderly woman, he clearly has no conscience.

"She has lost money and personal items which were in her bag and she is very distressed by the incident.

"I am appealing to anyone who was in the area, particularly around Magnolia Street and Rowan Street, around the time of the incident for any information.

"We don’t know which direction the man ran off in, but perhaps you saw him as he fled the crime scene.

"Please think back and consider if you saw this man or if you have any information which could assist us in locating him.”

The suspect is white, around 5ft 9-10in, with a medium build. He is aged around 23-24, has short light brown hair, and was wearing a navy jacket.

Anyone with information is asked to call officers at Wishaw police station via 101, quoting incident number 3522 of July 28. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.