Cyclist swipes handbag

A FAMILY has been forced to change locks after a lout swiped the mother’s bag containing keys, phones and a three-figure sum of cash.

Police Scotland has launched an investigation after a woman walking along Camperdown Road shortly before 3pm on Tuesday was pounced on by a cyclist who grabbed her pink blush handbag.

The victim, who declined to named, said the yob on a “BMXstyle bike” had taken her bag in a “matter of seconds” before fleeing up Turriff Street.

The thief made off with her work and personal mobile phones, along with £120 cash and other items.

She added: “I was heading home after visiting a relative nearby. I’d come from Turnberry Avenue towards Camperdown Road.

“It happened so quickly, the guy was wearing a black jacket with writing on the back with a white hooded top and he was riding a black BMX-style bike.

“He made a clean swipe for the bag, he never said a word and the bag was off my shoulder. Due to the speed in which he had taken it, I’ve actually got bruising to my arm.”

The victim said she ran across to the other side of the road in tears before seeing her attacker cycling down Livingstone Terrace and then disappearing along Camperdown Road.

She added: “I saw two men on Livingstone Terrace and I asked if they’d seen the guy who cycled down on the bike before explaining what happened.

“One of the men called the police, while the other got in his car to have a look for the guy on the bike.”

When the woman spotted the thief on Livingstone Terrace he did not appear to have the bag.

She said: “I’m not sure if he got what he needed and threw it into a hedge or passed it on to someone.

“My driver’s licence, my car keys, phones, cash and pictures of my children were all in the bag. Given the personal information that was inside we’ve had to change the locks at our address just to be safe.

“I can’t thank Police Scotland enough. They arrived quite quickly.

“They have said they don’t think the person would target my address given the nature of the incident, but the whole episode has shaken me up.

“Someone got in touch with me to say there had been a similar incident on Camperdown Road just a three weeks earlier.”

Police Scotland confirmed they attended the scene.

The bag snatch took place on Camperdown Road.