Callous teenage bag-snatchers punched and pushed an 87-year-old widow to the ground before taking pension money saved for Christmas presents.

Pensioner Lena Bellew, of Chelmer Road, Witham, was walking home on the town's River Walk after a Christmas shopping trip on Saturday.

Two teenage thieves attacked at 12.30pm, taking a navy blue shopping bag containing Christmas cards, a travel pass and a brown leather purse with £50 inside.

Mrs Bellew had been saving up the pension money to buy presents for her eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Mrs Bellew said: "They came from behind and they must have punched me as all I can remember is falling over my shopping trolley. My bag was hooked over the trolley and they took that.

"You don't expect it from youngsters that old. One was about 15 and the other was about 12."

She added: "I'm terribly shocked by the whole thing. I've been having dreadful trouble sleeping at night.

"I've been through two world wars and I never thought anything like this would happen to me."

Mrs Bellew decided to speak about her ordeal as she feels that pensioners and old people need to be warned, and the two bag-snatchers need to be shamed.

One bag-snatcher is described as a white male of slim build, about 14 years old, 5ft 4ins with slim facial features, wearing dark clothing and a dark hat.

The other attacker was a white boy, about 12 years old with short dark hair.

PC Emma Makey, of Witham police, said: "She was a vulnerable woman who had no chance to protect herself. The youths obviously have no conscience."

She added: "We would ask pensioners out shopping to conceal purses and wallets and we would like to assure them incidents of this nature are rare in Witham."

Witham police are appealing for witnesses on 01376 501212 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

Mugged - pensioner Lena Bellew

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