POLICE have assembled a special unit with the specific brief of catching Swindon's bag snatcher as quickly as possible.

The callous robber has been preying on Swindon's elderly for the past week, using a bicycle to approach his victims before trying to snatch their handbags.

He has struck on consecut-ive days since his first attack on an 81-year-old woman in Windsor Road at 3.30pm on Thursday, April 25.

Since then he has attempted to snatch bags from pensioners walking along the canal footpath behind Tennyson Street, Verwood Road, Kingshill Road and Wolsely Avenue all in broad daylight.

Det Sgt Kevin Rowles, who is leading the investigation, said the sooner the man is arrested the better.

"This man is targeting society's most vulnerable people and we need to ensure he is caught soon," he said.

"This is a particularly cowardly style of attack because the target is always a vulnerable person and so it is a top priority for us.

"It's striking that the man always attacks during peak, daylight hours in places where someone must have seen him."

Six police officers have been especially assigned to the case and patrols around the town have been stepped up.

"We are taking this extremely seriously and believe that someone must have seen something," DS Rowles added.

"In every one of these attacks a man has used a bike to try and snatch an elderly woman's handbag.

"These are a particularly callous series of attacks. There is no geographical pattern to them, but they are all within a few minutes cycle of each other."

In spite of the recent spate of attacks DS Rowles insisted the streets of Swindon were safe.

He said: "Statistics show that Wiltshire is the second safest county in the country so we have got to keep it in perspective.

"Having said that it's very worrying because someone could sustain a serious injury."

Descriptions of the robber are sketchy, but he has been described as a white man wearing dark jeans and a dark anorak.

Crime prevention officer, Paul Cook, said it was limited awareness that led to people becoming victims of crime.

He suggested that women should walk confidently, keep valuables out of sight and avoid alleyways and secluded footpaths to reduce the risk of becoming a victim.

He also advised woman to carry a personal alarm, wear handbags inside their coats and shop with friends.

Witnesses should call the incident room on Swindon 528111.

Timetable of attacks

Attack number 1:

Date: Thursday, April 25

Time: 3.30pm

Place: Windsor Road, Lawn

Victim: 81-year-old woman

A woman was walking along Windsor Road when a man on a bike pushed her to the ground. He grabbed her shoulder bag, containing cash, and sped off towards Hereford Lawns. The woman, although unhurt, was left badly shaken.

Attack number 2:

Date: Friday, April 26

Time: 11am

Place: Canal footpath behind Tennyson Street

Victim: 80-year-old woman

The woman was carrying shopping bags when a man approached her on a bicycle. He forced one of the bags from her grasp causing the pensioner to fall and fracture a hip. The cyclist fled in the direction of Curtis Street. The woman's purse was later found with £10 missing.

Attack number 3:

Date: Saturday, April 27

Time: 11.35am

Place: Verwood Close, Park North

Victim: 68-year-old woman

A lone cyclist approached the woman from behind and grabbed her shopping bag causing her to fall. Her empty purse was later found a short distance away.

Attack number 4:

Date: Monday, April 29

Time: Between 10am and 11am

Place: Kingshill Road, Kingshill

Victim: 84-year-old woman

A lone cyclist rode past and grabbed her bag containing a large amount of cash. He woman was unhurt, but distressed.

Attack number 5:

Date: Wednesday, May 1

Time: 1pm

Place: Wolsely Avenue, Park South

Victim: 73-year-old woman

The pensioner was walking home when a man on a bicycle grabbed her handbag, containing a substantial amount of cash, and rode off in the direction of Leighton Avenue. The woman was unhurt, but left badly shaken.

Attack number 6:

Date: Wednesday, May 1

Time: 5.40pm

Place: Beckhampton Street, close to the Civic Offices

Victim: 52-year-old woman

The woman was carrying bags when two teenagers on bikes engaged her in conversation and tried to grab her handbag, but they fled empty handed. Police arrested an 18-year-old man on Wednesday night and he was last night being interviewed by officers.