THE money stolen by thieves who snatched a pensioner s bank card while she was using an internal ATM machine has been refunded. HSBC has refunded the stolen £500 to the 77-year-old victim of two men who watched her put in her PIN number and grabbed her c

THE money stolen by thieves who snatched a pensioner's bank card while she was using an internal ATM machine has been refunded.

HSBC has refunded the stolen £500 to the 77-year-old victim of two men who watched her put in her PIN number and grabbed her card while she was in the branch in Chequer Street, St Albans, on Monday last week.

They immediately ran across the road and withdrew £300 and £200 in separate transactions from the NatWest Bank.

The pensioner, who is not being named, now has the money safely back in her account but is still very frightened of using ATMs on her own again.

Her daughter, Mrs Krystyna Ryan, of Sherwood Avenue, St Albans, said: "She is still very upset now and I am going into town with her to get out some money."

She spoke about her mother's ordeal to warn other cash machine users to be on their guard even if they feel safer withdrawing money inside a bank rather than from an ATM outside.