A WOMAN was left bruised and shaken after a man viciously tried to rob her in broad daylight near Maldon High Street.


The woman, 40, was assaulted when walking from Edward Bright car park to Maldon High Street by a man trying to grab her handbag.

The man pulled her hair, struck her in the face and tried to grab the handbag. Following a struggle, the suspect fled empty-handed, leaving the victim shaken and with a bruised cheek.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “Police are appealing for witnesses after an attempted robbery in Maldon. The suspect is described as a white man, aged in his mid 20s, wearing a red or maroon jacket.

“Following the incident police carried out a search of the area but found no trace of the suspect. Detectives are continuing to investigate.”

The incident took place at 9.20am last Tuesday. Town Mayor Richard Miller, a former police officer, urged residents not to panic.

He said: “This type of crime is known as an inquisitive crime, and while it is certainly shocking and unpleasant for the person involved, they tend to come and go very quickly.

“These people may try out a crime and if it doesn’t work they may disappear again before we’ve had time to assess any patterns.

“If this turns out not to be a one-off occasion, it will need to be looked into with precautions placed, but the last thing we want is for the public to get anxious about it. 

“There are things everyone can do to prepare themselves for things like this – being vigilant of your surroundings, being wary of what you are carrying and so on. As unlikely as it could be, incidents could come up at any time.”

Witnesses should call police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.