A DISABLED woman used her walking stick to fight off a street thief who snatched her handbag.

Joan Murphy, aged 76, repeatedly struck the thief over the head and body as he tried to escape, clutching her bag under his arm.

The young thief tried to protect himself and eventually dropped the bag on the ground and fled.

Reflecting on the incidient,the grandmother of three said today: "I may be old, but there's life in the old girl yet." Mrs Murphy, who has to use the walking stick because of rheumatism in her hip and legs, was attacked in Bury Road, Bolton, less than half a mile from her Breightmet home.

The thief, thought to be aged about 17, ran up behind the retired factory worker, who was walking home on Saturday afternoon after visiting the shops.

He grabbed her bag but was caught by surprise when she swung out with her walking stick and struck him over the head.

She said: "I hit him about five times all together. I suppose he was lucky really because I did not use all my power. If I had done, he would have ended up in hospital."

The thief dropped Mrs Murphy's bag as he tried to fend off her blows and was forced to flee. Mrs Murphy was not injured but the attempted robbery left her shocked.

However, the pensioner said the incident would not prevent her from walking the streets near her home.

She said: "I didn't really get a good look at him because my eyesight is not too good, but I think he was a pretty weak lad, really, certainly nothing to give you any nightmares.

"I think, if anything, I've given him something to think about."

A police spokesman said the incident had not been reported to the police. He said: "The lady involved seems to have been very brave and she deserves enormous praise for that."