Skip to main content

Bag becomes weapon

A UK pensioner took on a gang of six masked and helmeted robbers attempting to smash their way into a jewellers to steal valuable items. The thieves drove up on scooters and used hammers to try and break the glass windows of the shop in a bid to take watches and jewellery. Passers-by watched in alarm as the robbers battered at the glass, however the female pensioner showed no fear as she sprinted towards the thieves and began hitting them with her handbag. At this, the thieves realised their plot had been f
February 22, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A UK pensioner took on a gang of six masked and helmeted robbers attempting to smash their way into a jewellers to steal valuable items. The thieves drove up on scooters and used hammers to try and break the glass windows of the shop in a bid to take watches and jewellery. Passers-by watched in alarm as the robbers battered at the glass, however the female pensioner showed no fear as she sprinted towards the thieves and began hitting them with her handbag. At this, the thieves realised their plot had been foiled and attempted to ride away but one of the scooters fell to the ground and although the driver managed to run off, the passenger was apprehended. Police later arrested other members of the gang and thanked the woman for her courage.

Related Content

  • Almost gone: Canada’s old Port Mann Bridge deconstructed
    August 14, 2015
    Three years ago a welder’s cut halved Canada’s old Port Mann Bridge. David Arminas reports from the banks of the Fraser River. By the time this issue of World Highways reaches you, one of Canada’s iconic steel arch bridges will be a shadow of its former self. It’s been a three-year demolition job since the first cut across the deck of the old Port Mann Bridge just outside the city of Vancouver on Canada’s Pacific coast. A new 10-lane 2.2km Port Mann Bridge opened in 2012 (see box). It runs parallel to the o
  • Checking out Europe's motorway service stations
    February 14, 2012
    A survey of a number of Europe's motorway filling stations have thrown up surprising results: some good, some bad. Experts from EuroTest have travelled almost 34,000km to check out 77 filling stations along the most important travel routes in Europe. Keeping a close eye on cameras and staff that might "blow their cover," the results they brought home with them showed that not a single facility [visited] warranted a very good rating.
  • Holiday traffic jams
    October 3, 2018
    In the Northern Hemisphere the summer means time for families to head off on holiday. At this time of year, many busy routes become jammed as holidaymakers head north, south, east or west, all in search of some rest and recreation. In the UK for example, the start of the school holiday period typically leads to families taking to the roads, with massive spikes in traffic volumes as a result. Some areas are particularly bad. The highway routes lying roughly between Munich in southern Germany and Milan in no
  • Which way now?
    March 1, 2012
    Drivers using GPS navigation systems are being urged not to trust their devices too closely by police forces. In the Australian state of Victoria, police are telling drivers not to throw away their maps after a series of incidents in which motorists in ordinary road cars have become stranded after following GPS directions and taking routes only accessible to four-wheel drive vehicles.