A handbag containing £74 worth of items was snatched from a 15-year-old girl in Calne.
The bag was discovered minutes later in the car park of The Pippin and £72 worth of its contents were still there.
The incident happened at 3.40pm on December 18 when the girl was at the junction of Mill Street and Church Street .
PC Andy Fortune, of Chippenham police, said the man approached the girl from behind, snatched the bag and ran off towards the library.
He is described as white, about 5ft 5ins, of slim build, wearing a white jumper with a black and purple padded jacket.
He was also wearing dirty Reebok tracksuit bottoms and dirty Adidas trainers, with holes in the soles.
Anyone with information is asked to call the police on (01249) 812106.
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