AN elderly woman had her handbag, containing hundreds of pounds, grabbed by a thief in what police have described as a despicable crime.

The incident happened on Hollywood Road, Hollywood, on Friday, February 28, at about 11.20am.

The 83 year old woman had returned home with her husband after collecting her pension and as she started to get out of the car, a man grabbed her handbag off her lap. The bag contained over £300.

He ran off and got into a white Rover which had been reported stolen from Tesco's car park in Dudley the day before.

The thief is described as white, aged 20-25 and of large build. The car drove off towards Wythall.

DC Rob Smith said: "This is a despicable act. These offenders clearly targeted an elderly couple and stole a considerable amount of money off them, knowing they were vulnerable.

"It may be the offenders followed the elderly couple from the nearby post office in Hollywood Gardens to their home.

"We have carried out house-to-house inquiries in the area and are appealing for anyone who may have seen the incident to contact me on 08457 444888."