DETECTIVES are appealing for witnesses after a young woman was robbed as she made her way home.

The woman was left “upset” after being attacked as she walked through the centre of Newton Aycliffe in the early hours of Saturday.

At around 2.30am, the victim was in the area of Greenwell Road and Macmillan Road when a man approached her.

Suddenly, he used force to rip her handbag from the victim’s grasp and ran off in the direction of the town’s leisure centre.

Detective constable Phil Collingwood said: “This was an upsetting and very frightening incident for the woman and we would like to ask the public to help us catch the man responsible.”

Some of the property stolen in the robbery was later discovered in the Faulkner Road area and other discarded items were found in a back street beneath the town’s multi-storey car park.

The suspect is described as being white, wearing black tracksuit trousers with light stripes, and a dark jacket.

  • Anyone with information should contact 101 and ask to speak to Det Con Collingwood.
  • Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555111.