TWO brave people jumped to a woman's aid after she had her handbag snatched in a daring daylight theft.

The thief swiped the 47-year old woman's handbag in Trowbridge town centre on Monday lunchtime (December 5) as she left the Abbey National in Fore Street.

Hearing the woman's cry for help, Alpha taxi driver Mike Pearce and a young father took up the chase as the thief fled towards the library, across the multi-storey car park, towards Tesco.

Mr Pearce, who was driving into the Market Place at the time of the attack, chased the thief down Castle Street in his taxi, trapping him at the Civic Hall and recovering the handbag.

The victim said she was amazed at people's response in the minutes after the mugging.

She said: "I thank them from the bottom of my heart.

"If I had been an older person it could have been worse. I am so pleased I didn't get hurt but I could so easily be saying something different right now.

"He was determined to have my bag as soon as I came out of the bank but I must admit I never thought it would happen to me.

"Everybody was there to help me and checking that I was alright, it was so heart warming."

She added: "He needs to be caught or else he will do it again.

"We live in a market town and I thought it was safe."

Taxi driver Mr Pearce, who was given a bottle of whiskey by the victim, said he would have done the same for anybody.

Mr Pearce said: "It is a bit off, people going around and taking stuff like that. It always happens about this time of year.

"I was pleased he dropped the handbag and didn't have a chance to get into it.

"He obviously just took the bag and legged it, I would have done the same for anybody as I don't like seeing people get away with things like that."

The mugger is in his early teens, about 5ft 10ins tall with shaven dark hair.

He was wearing a faded black baseball cap and a waist-length black coat.

Anyone with information should contact PC Mark Gale on (01225) 763101.