Kirkcaldy woman left shaken after having purse snatched.

Police appeal after incident which took place in broad daylight

A woman was left badly shaken after being the victim of a handbag snatch in a Kirkcaldy street in broad daylight on Sunday, police have revealed.

The incident happened at around 9.45am on Westwood Avenue when the 49-year-old victim was out walking.

She was approached by a man, said to be in his thirties, who tried to grab her handbag, sparking a struggle between the pair,

The man wrestled the woman’s belongings from her grasp and was able to make off from the Gallatown area with her bag.

The victim was uninjured and was able to quickly contact the police, who have now appealed for witnesses.

Officers investigating the theft say the man is described as a slim 5ft 6in to 5ft 8in.

He had short brown hair and was wearing a dark, duffle-coat-style jacket with the hood up, and jeans.

Detective Sergeant Craig Fraser, from Kirkcaldy CID, said: “While the victim wasn’t injured during the struggle, she was obviously very upset at the theft of her handbag and we’re asking anyone who witnessed the incident to contact police immediately.

“We would also urge anyone who recognises the description of the suspect, or who has any further information relating to this inquiry, to get in touch.”

With Gallatown Park relatively close by, police believe there were likely to have been a number of people in the area at the time of the robbery who may have seen the suspect either prior to or after the incident took place.

This latest theft comes as Police Scotland’s Fife division continues its high-profile crackdown on so-called acquisitive crime through Operation Principle, which aims to curb a range of criminality including theft by housebreaking, shoplifting, theft of motor vehicles and fraud.

Anyone with information about what happened can contact Kirkcaldy CID via 101 and quote incident 1972 of August 27. Alternatively, an anonymous report can also be made through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

We would also urge anyone who recognises the description of the suspect, or who has any further information relating to this inquiry, to get in touch. DETECTIVE SERGEANT CRAIG FRASER