Tripped thief flees empty-handed

A thief was thwarted by a member of the public who responded to the victim's cries for help as she gave chase.

The thief snatched the purse from a 48-year-old woman outside Top Shop in the Tower Ramparts Centre in Ipswich.

The woman chased after the thief before he was tripped by a member of the public, causing him to drop the purse and leave his trainer shoe behind.

The robber, who struck on Tuesday, was described as Chinese, tall, aged in his mid 20s, with black, short, spiky hair.

Suffolk Police are appealing to anyone with information about the incident, which happened at 1320 BST, to contact them.