Posters go up to aid hunt (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Posters go up to aid hunt

One of the posters put up to help the search, and inset, how we reported the story on Saturday Ref: 99143-104THE two faces who brought terror to a 56-year-old woman last week have been splashed all over the area of the attack in the hunt to find them.

Police say they are confident they will be able to track down the pair with the help of dozens of posters, produced by the Swindon Advertiser, which have gone up around the Tennyson Street area where the woman was attacked during a failed bagsnatch.

Police hope their faces might trigger memories of the fleeing attackers.

It follows an attempt by the two thugs to steal her handbag. As she tried to fight back, she suffered a broken shoulder and was left with several severe cuts and bruises.

The attempted robbery happened around noon on Tuesday, August 30, as she walked along the old canal path, which runs along the rear of Tennyson Street.

The woman had first seen the two youths near Cambria Bridge and they followed her until they came up behind her and attempted to snatch her bag.

The force of the attack sent the victim to the ground but she remained determined to keep hold of the bag. She was then dragged across a gravelled area to force her to let go but she did not. Eventually the pair gave up and ran off but police are unsure about which way they headed.

The woman was taken to the Great Western Hospital for treatment, but later released.

PC Karen O'Brien said: "This was a particularly nasty attack and the repercussions for the victim could easily have been far worse. These youths need to be caught quickly otherwise an innocent victim could be seriously injured if they continue to act in this way."

The two men are described as both being white, aged between 16 and 17, of thin build, and about 5ft 8ins in height and both were of pale complexion.

They both have brown hair and one of the men has hair slightly lighter than the other which was also gelled giving it a spiky look on top.

The attack occurred in a relatively quiet and isolated area but there were children playing in a nearby park who may have witnessed what happened. Anyone who did is urged to call PC Karen O'Brien or Andy Taylor at the Swindon Crime Targeting team on 01793 507912.

Anthony Osborne