Carer reveals ordeal of being dragged along the ground by youths trying to rob her handbag

A carer was dragged along the ground as she fought off four youths trying to steal her handbag in an alleyway.

Rebecca Alexander was on her way to start a night shift as a care assistant when she was ambushed by the youths in Arnold, Nottinghamshire.

She heard footsteps behind her then was hit over the head, falling to the ground and landing on broken glass, Nottinghamshire Police said.

The group then tried to take her bag in the attack, which happened between 7.20pm and 7.45pm on Wednesday, 4 August, but she held on to it and curled herself into a ball to protect her face.

The mum-of-five was left with cuts, scrapes and grazes to her face, arms and legs while her attackers ran off empty-handed.

Alexander, who has lived in the area for around 15 years, was helped by a local couple who gave her some wipes for her wounds, brought her a drink and comforted her.

Police took her home and an ambulance was called but she didn't need to go to hospital, despite being left with a swollen knee.

She said: "When I heard the footsteps behind me I just carried on walking and thought nothing of it.

"Then I felt being hit to the head and I fell to the floor. They tried tugging my bag away from me but I held on to it and kept my head down.

"It all happened within the blink of an eye. While I was on the floor I just had this sickening feeling – that if I saw their faces I might have well known them."

She added: "I’d like to thank the couple who helped me. It just shows that not everyone is bad and there are more good people than bad.

"This incident could have been a lot worse. I’m a healthy person but it could easily have happened to someone elderly.

"Looking back on it now I think I should have just let go of my bag but I think it’s really important that people remain vigilant and stay aware of their surroundings."

The attackers are believed to be white and aged in their early to late teens. One is described as wearing a dark grey hoodie, two others were wearing black hoodies and had dark hair and a fourth also had dark hair and was wearing dark-coloured trousers and a t-shirt.

Detective Sergeant Gary Hewson, who is leading an investigation into the attempted robbery, said: "While we would never want anyone to put themselves in harm’s way I would like to commend Rebecca for her bravery shown during this incident which must have been very distressing.

“It was fortunate she didn’t suffer more serious injuries during this cowardly attack.

“We are working hard to trace the suspects and I’m appealing to anyone who may have been in the area around the time and saw these youths immediately before or after the incident to please come forward.

"Equally anyone who has any CCTV or dash-cam footage which could help us identify them is asked to get in touch as soon as possible.

"Incidents of this nature are understandably concerning for local communities. We treat all reports of robbery seriously and we have upped police patrols in the area to provide reassurance while we continue to progress with our investigation."