Thief tries to steal car of widow's car

A CALLOUS thief tried to steal a widow's car as she was tending her husband's grave.

The 60-year-old pensioner parked her Toyota Alexis outside the cemetery in Old Church Road, Chingford, dropped the car keys into her handbag and went into the cemetery.

As she began tidying up the area around the grave, she put her bag down and turned her back on it for a few seconds. The woman heard a car being started up and at the same time she realised her handbag had been stolen.

The distressed widow ran out of the cemetery and found a man sitting in the driver's seat of her car.

She opened the door and shouted at the man, who grabbed her wrist, injuring her arm slightly.

A man who was passing by at the time tried to help but the thief ran off together with a teenage girl with long dark hair.

A police spokesman said the widow had noticed the suspect sitting against a gravestone as she entered the cemetery, but hadn't been able to get a full description of him.

Police are anxious to speak to the member of the public who tried to help, and anyone who may have witnessed the incident which happened at 11.30am on Tuesday, July 30.

Anyone with information should contact the crime desk on 8345 2374.

15:22 Thursday 15th August 2002

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