A victim of an attempted mugging has praised the passersby who ran to her aid and caught a thief who had tried to make off with her wallet.

The 61-year-old Pembroke woman had left Cycle Care around 10.55 a.m. in Woodlands Road on Monday when she saw a hand reach from behind her and try to grab the wallet with cheques and cash worth around $500.

But she held on and a van driver and a man on a bike stopped their vehicles and chased the man who was caught after running towards St. John?s roundabout. They held the 45-year-old Pembroke man until Police arrived. She said: ?I screeched like you would not believe. That?s why most people stopped.

?The only thing I did, and I recommend it, was to screech. The public do react if someone is yelling. They stop because they know there?s a problem. If I was passive I would not have got any assistance.?

The woman said she thanked the men who helped her at the time. ?And I thank them again now. There is no way I could have given chase. I was shocked it happened ? it was broad daylight.?

Last night Police spokesman Dwayne Caines: ?We are very encouraged to hear members of the community are looking out for each other.

?It just shows they are not sitting on the sidelines watching individuals take advantage of vulnerable people. They should be commended for their bravery and selflessness.?

The victim was treated in hospital for abrasions and a sore right ankle. She said the incident had shaken her up. ?It was like TV going over and over in my head. I kept replaying the whole thing.?

Police also attended a reported theft of an unknown amount of coins and a cigarette lighter from an unattended vehicle on Marsh Folly Road in Pembroke near Bernard?s Park on Monday at about 4 a.m. A 25-year-old Devonshire man, was later arrested.