A grateful pensioner is trying to track down a woman who paid for her shopping after a thief stole her purse from a St Albans supermarket.

She is hoping to thank the Good Samaritan and pay her back for her shopping which cost about £60.

Following the discovery of her purse missing at the till the victim, Maureen Rylands of The Ridgeway, said: “I was in a panic not knowing which way to turn. I must have looked like an easy target.

“The lady said she would like to pay for my shopping, which I said was very kind, but I wouldn’t hear of it. However, she paid for my shopping without any fuss.”

Maureen added: “I’d like to thank her personally and reimburse her. I saw two different members of the public that day – a thief without a conscience and a Good Samaritan.”

The victim’s purse containing £5 and her credit cards was stolen from Morrisons in Hatfield Road between 11.45am and 12.45pm on Saturday, January 23.

Anyone who saw the thief or anyone acting suspiciously in the store is asked to contact police on 101.