A 73-year-old woman was mugged as she walked to a friend's house.

The pensioner, who was walking with her daughter in Peterlee, had her handbag snatched at about 7pm on Sunday.

The pair had been walking along Acre Rigg Road, when a man heading towards them, crouched down in front of the woman and grabbed her handbag. He then ran off in the direction of Chester Place.

A local man in his forties and his son who witnessed the theft, chased after the mugger, but he escaped.

The woman's bag and her purse were recovered nearby a short while later, with £10 missing from the purse.

The pensioner, from the Lancaster Hill area, was uninjured but shaken.

The thief is described as in his early twenties, between 5ft 10in and 6ft, with short, fair hair and a clean appearance. He was wearing a long-sleeved, navy top and bottoms.

Detective Constable Bruce Harriman, based at Peterlee police station, said: "There were quite a lot of people walking in the area when this incident happened, as it was a lovely evening.

"We would particularly like to speak to a man and woman who we believe witnessed the mugging."

Det Con Harriman can be contacted at the police station on 0191-586 2621.