An assistant lettings agency manager in Pinner, Middlesex, has been praised by police after her brave response to witnessing an elderly woman being mugged.

Holly Pendred, 25, works for Gibbs Gillespie and was leaving her office at 7pm one evening last week when she saw what appeared to be two people fighting.

“I was pulling out of [the] car park after work and saw two people under the railway bridge grappling with each other. As I drove closer I realised it was an elderly woman being attacked by a man who was pulling at her handbag.

“I slammed on the brake and jumped out and ran towards them. The man ran off with the lady’s bag. She was pretty shaken up but appeared unhurt. Along with a couple of other people I stayed with her until the police came” explains Holly.

The drama did not end there though as a woman driver told police she had seen the mugger run off to a nearby street. 

Holly takes up the story. “The policemen then asked me to jump in their car as I had managed to get a good look at the man. Within a couple of minutes I spotted him and the police arrested him with the woman’s belongings still on him. The police officers thanked me and said I had done a brave thing but I think most people would do the same in that situation.”

“It was instinct. I saw him attacking the elderly lady and thought I’m not letting this happen. It all happened very quickly, I’m just glad the lady seemed unhurt.”