AN elderly woman was left distressed at a bus station after a young couple ran off with her purse.

Rachel Noi picked up the 82-year-old's purse from the ground where her male companion had dropped it after stealing it from her bag.

But the incident was captured on the station's CCTV cameras and police officers identified Noi from the footage.

Noi, aged 20, of Parkway, Westhoughton, appeared at Bolton Crown Court for sentence for theft.

After considering her case a judge decided that she was suitable for a Drug Treatment and Testing Order instead of a custodial sentence.

Prosecutor Richard Heap said that the elderly woman was with two friends at Moor Lane bus station on August 10 when she felt her bag move.

One of her friends saw a purse on the floor and the victim recognised it as her's but Noi picked up the purse and ran off with her male friend who has not been caught.

The purse contained £25 and was worth £20 and has never been recovered. Noi had a previous criminal record including handling and obtaining property by deception.

Rachel Lloyd-Smith, defending, said that Noi had become addicted to heroin after she went to live with her boyfriend who was also an addict. He committed suicide last year and after that Noi became heavily addicted.

Recorder Ashley Murray sentenced Noi to serve a 12 months Drug Treatment and Testing Order with a review at court in two month's time.