Man charged after Fylde coast pensioners targeted in spate of handbag thefts

Marcus Ford, of Thorsby Avenue, Hyde, has been charged with two offences of robbery, theft from a shop, driving a motor vehicle dangerously, theft from a motor vehicle, making off without making payment and handling stolen goods.

The 50-year-old is due to appear at Blackpool Magistrates' Court today (Monday, October 12).

A 30-year-old woman from Hyde was also arrested on suspicion of theft from a vehicle and later released under investigation pending further enquiries.

The first incident took place on Friday, October 9 when a woman in her 70s was reportedly pulled to the ground by a man who grabbed her handbag as she was walking on St Annes Road East in St Annes at around 11.30am.

The woman refused to let go of the bag, causing the man to make off from the scene.

Two hours later, at around 1.35pm, a woman in her 80s was sitting in her parked car in Beach Road, Cleveleys, when a man opened the rear passenger door and stole her handbag.

Police were later called again at approximately 4pm to reports a woman had her handbag stolen by a man in Headroomgate Road, St Annes.

At around 5pm the following day (Saturday, October 10), a woman in her 80s reported a man had stolen her handbag from the back seat as she was sitting in her car on Cleveland Road, Lytham.

Following enquiries, two people were arrested by police in the Fleetwood area after a vehicle was stopped by officers.