'We're on your trail' (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

'We're on your trail'

DI Paul Jennings. Ref: 99389-29WHEN Detective Inspector Paul Jennings looks at a Swindon map covered in stickers he is determined not to add another coloured dot to the scene.

At the moment there are 38 small circles plastering the plan of the town each one marking the place where a cycling bagsnatcher has struck in recent months.

Last month a team of both uniform and plain-clothed officers was set up to catch those responsible.

Det Insp Jennings is heading up the task group who are working to make the streets of Swindon safe.

On Thursday Hugo Leal appeared at Swindon Magistrates Court where he was remanded in custody for a number of charges including robbery and attempted robbery.

He was caught after a member of the public heard a 74-year-old woman's cries for help and came to the rescue.

But the team of officers are not getting carried away with that slice of good luck and Det Insp Jennings knows there is still work to do to tackle the latest crime trend.

He said: "From our intelligence it's apparent that we have definitely got more than one offender carrying out this type of attack.

"Following excellent work by a member of the public we were able to deal with one offender. We were lucky enough to have a person detained by a member of the public. But what we are up against is that it has become a common method."

The most recent victim was a 79-year-old woman who was left with a shattered knee joint and severe bruising after a thief tried to snatch her bag in Gainsborough Way, West Swindon. On that occasion the attacker escaped empty-handed.

But police say their efforts to catch those responsible are being hampered because the victims often carry their mobile phones in the handbags which get stolen.

This means by the time the victim has got to a phone to call the police the culprit is long gone.

And Det Insp Jennings, who has already warned someone could be killed if they are knocked over by one of these attackers, fears there could be more of these crimes than police know about.

He said: "We think it's a possibility that offences have gone on that have not been reported.

"It could be that someone has been the victim of an attempted robbery and not reported it.

"But from our point of view we want all the information we can get and we would urge people to report any attempted robberies."

Until the police do manage to catch the snatchers they say that women should take care when walking alone.