Women were urged last night to be on their guard following a series of bag snatches in the same area of a city.

Detectives issued the warning after two weekend incidents in which the victims were injured when their handbags were grabbed by young robbers, in the vicinity of County Hall, Durham.

There was a similar incident 11 days ago, also near County Hall, when a middle-aged woman's bag, containing £3, was snatched.

The first of the two incidents at the weekend involved an elderly couple, who were walking along Framwelgate Peth, near the entrance of the DLI Museum, not far from County Hall, at about 12.30pm, on Saturday.

A youth, wearing a black woollen hat, snatched a shoulder bag from the 72-year-old woman, who was pulled to the ground.

Her attacker fled with her purse, containing about £11, heading towards the city railway viaduct, leaving his victim with injuries to her hands and hip.

On Sunday, at 3.30pm, two women, aged 68 and 81, were walking in North End, Durham, near County Hall, when they were approached from behind by two youths in their mid-to-late teens.

The younger of the two women was pulled to the ground when the bag was snatched, breaking her arm.

Her assailants, wearing navy blue track suits and woollen caps, ran off in the direction of Dryburn Hospital, with about £12 from the victim's purse.

Detective Sergeant Steve Kitching, of Durham CID, said it appeared the three attacks were connected: "Not least by their location and because the description of the robbers is similar.

They are clearly preying on what they consider to be easy targets," he said.

Witnesses to any of the incidents are asked to ring Durham CID, on 0191-386 4222, or the Crimestoppers freephone line, on (0800) 555111.

l Handbags were also snatched from cars as their owners were using the bottle bank in Consett's Safeway car park, on Saturday, at 11.30am and 1.40pm.

In the first incident, a blond-haired man ran out from a dark brown hatchback car, possibly an Astra