Police hunting man who tried to rob elderly woman near busy Kilmarnock road

Police are hunting for a man who tried to rob an elderly woman in Kilmarnock.

The 79-year-old woman was walking on London Road at its junction with Dunure Drive around 12pm on Sunday when she was approached by a man.

The suspect attempted to forcibly pull the woman’s bag from her.

She was helped by a member of the public before police were contacted.

The woman was uninjured but said to be “badly shaken” by the incident.

The suspect is described as male, aged 25-35, of slim build and was wearing a two-tone dark jacket, dark trousers and white trainers and was carrying a backpack.

Detective constable O’Neill said: “This was a shocking incident which left the elderly woman very upset.

“We are appealing for anyone who saw this man around this time to get in touch. The area is popular with dog walkers, and someone may remember seeing him before or after this incident.

“Anyone who was driving on London Road, or Main Road Crookedholm, around noon on Sunday with dashcam footage should check to see if they have captured anything that may be useful to our investigation.”

Anyone with any information which can help with this inquiry is asked to contact 101, quoting reference 1368 of March 8. Anyone looking to give information anonymously can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.