10/07/2009

Elderly Woman Attacked By Robbers

An elderly woman suffered a broken nose when she was thrown to the floor by robbers as she walked home from the shops.

The 78-year-old woman was recovering in hospital today after the ordeal in a busy Solihull street yesterday morning.

She was walking home when two men jumped out of a car and shoved her to the ground, grabbing her handbag containing cash and credit cards.

Shoppers called police who panned out around the scene of the attack in St Helen's Road and arrested three men.

Police, who stopped a car driven by the suspects in nearby Warwick Road shortly after the 11.40am attack, were today still questioning three men.

Police from Solihull police station were on the scene and had arrested three people in a car nearby within 10 minutes.

Det Insp Darren Lee, of Solihull CID, said: "Thankfully this type of crime is extremely rare. It was a cowardly attack on a defenceless woman.

"We want to hear from anyone who may have been approached by a group of men in a white car, purporting to ask for directions."

Three men were arrested after police on foot and in patrol cars covered all routes out of the town and intercepted the suspect vehicle.

Det Insp Lee said: "The lady is still in hospital and is badly shaken. She has a broken nose from where she fell and other facial injuries.

"But she has given us a detailed description of the people who attacked her and we are building a picture of what happened before the attack and during it."

Three Birmingham men, two aged 20 and one 21-year-old, were being questioned by detectives in Solihull today.

Witnesses are urged to call police on 0845 1135000.

(JM/BMcC)

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