DETECTIVES in Burnley are looking for a Good Samaritan who went to the aid of a bag snatch victim.

They also want help from the public in hunting down the crook who attacked a 30-year-old woman as she was walking along Accrington Road.

The victim was approached from behind by a teenager who grabbed her shoulder bag and ran off. She tried to chase him but he escaped.

The incident was seen by a young man who offered to help the woman and ran after the offender. He did not return before the victim went to get help.

The Good Samaritan is described as white, blonde hair and in his twenties. He was wearing a blue, red, white and yellow adidas tracksuit top and jeans.

The thief is described as white, in his late teens, 5ft 9ins tall and very skinny.

He was wearing a dark baseball cap, black, thin waterproof-type jacket and blue jeans.

He got away with a black leather rucksack-type shoulder bag containing £130 cash, two milk tokens, a gas card, make-up, earrings and documents.

Det Sgt Steve Mounsey said: "The woman was shocked by what happened but not hurt."

Police in Burnley are investigating two other bag snatch incidents in which the victims were injured.

On Monday, January 14, grandmother Isabel Hamer was attacked as she unlocked the door of her home in the Briercliffe Road area of Duke Bar.

She hung on but was dragged to the ground suffering hand and leg injuries.

The girl attacker fled empty-handed.

On Sunday, January 20, a 50-year-old shopper at Focus, Caldervale Road, was returning to her car when a man in the back seat of blue Vauxhall Cavalier, stolen in Elland, West Yorkshire, reached out and grabbed her bag.

She also refused to let go and was dragged across the car park by the car, the back wheels of which ran over her left arm.

Police have advised women to take whatever precautions they can and especially if walking alone at night to try to keep their bags out of sight.