A woman in St Albans approached another woman from behind and tried to steal her handbag.

The victim, a woman in her 40s, was walking along Vanda Crescent at 5pm on Saturday, July 15, when the other woman approached her.

The attempted thief tried to snatch her handbag. They struggled briefly before the offender ran off towards Alban Way, without the bag.

She is described as a black woman in her mid 30s, with shoulder-length wavy hair.

The incident is being investigated by the St Albans Local Crime Unit.

Det Con Ayodeji Afolabi said: “I would like to speak to anyone who saw this incident or who knows anything about it. The information you provide could be very useful to our investigation.”

Anyone with information should contact the DC Afolabi via the police non-emergency number 101. Or if you prefer, information can be given anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling on 0800 555 111 or going online to www.crimestoppers-uk.org.