are becoming more brazen and violent after two more were reported this weekend.

The first victim was a woman travelling east on North Shore Road in Devonshire on Saturday at about 1.30 p.m.

She reported that a man on a cycle rode up next to her and snatched her knapsack from the floor of her cycle.

He then escaped in an easterly direction with the bag containing a small quantity of cash and a pager.

The victim was not injured, and she was able to get a good description of the suspect, and Police are making active inquiries.

In a second, more violent incident on Saturday night, a woman was exiting her parked car near Park Road and Church Street.

A man rode up alongside her around from the direction of Church Street around 11 p.m. and attempted to pull her bag out of her hand.

She immediately started to run, but her attacker parked his bike and chased after her.

He then allegedly slapped her and pushed her to the ground.

She slapped him back but then released her bag, allowing him to escape with it.

The man then got back on his bike and rode off.

Police were able to obtain a brief description of the assailant, and based on subsequent information, have said that some progress is being made in the investigation.

There has been a huge increase in handbag snatches in the last few months, and many have been carried out in the Pitts Bay Road area.

Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott has said that Government is taking the safety issue seriously and is rushing to install new street lights in the area.

Handbag snatchers strike again Last week a man viciously attacked a woman in her car on Front Street, punching her in the face before walking away with her bag.

Elderly women have also been victim to attacks, and at the end of February a woman had her bag stolen despite fighting back with her umbrella.

There have been at least ten handbag snatches so far this year, and some have been more violent than others.

Attackers often approach and escape on motorcycles, and have proved extremely difficult to catch as their crimes are ones of opportunity.