Londoners raise almost £1,000 for woman, 73, robbed as she cleaned her late husband's grave on Christmas Eve

Suspect: Police have released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to in connection with the robbery
Metropolitan Police
Laura Proto3 January 2016

A community has rallied together to raise almost £1,000 for an elderly woman who was robbed of her handbag as she cleaned her late husband’s grave on Christmas Eve.

The 73-year-old woman has been left too afraid to return to Hanwell Cemetery after the callous robber approached her from behind at about 1.30pm on December 24.

The woman’s handbag was later recovered but her purse was found to be missing.

Residents were left so horrified by the “shocking” crime that Joanna Barrett, licensee of Lavins Bar, and her 17-year-old daughter Amber Matthews, decided to set up a JustGiving page.

Miss Barrett, 37, said she learned of the crime last week after police visited her business to view CCTV in a hope to get a clear image of the suspect.

She told the Standard: “They were in there for quite a while and I went out and asked what it was about and the officer had tears in her eyes when she told me about it. They were desperate to find a clear image of him.

“I was totally shocked. That night, I was thinking about it and decided to see if people wanted to do a whip round. I had a massive response on Facebook and someone suggested setting up a JustGiving page.

“I set it up on Friday and it has snowballed.”

Miss Barrett, a mother-of-two, was able to get put in touch with the victim who said she was “overwhelmed and taken aback” by the generosity.

She added: “She was very emotional. She said for 10 years she has been going to the cemetery twice a week and has never had any problems. She is afraid to go back. She said she won’t go back on her own.”

Kind: Joanna Barrett and her daughter Amber Matthews, 17, set up the JustGiving page
Joanna Barrett

The page, which had a target of £200, has raised more than £850 in just three days in addition to cash donations.

Messages of support to the victim have also poured in.

Miss Barrett said: “It is not about the money. It is about making her feel supported. There is community support and it shows not everything is so bad.

“I said I would print off all the messages of support for her. People have offered to chaperone her to the cemetery as well.”

No arrests have been made and police are continuing to appeal for anyone with information to come forward.

The suspect is described as a skinny man, about 5ft 9in tall and he was wearing a black scarf covering his face, grey hooded top, a black coat and jeans.

Anyone who recognises the man should call Ealing CID via 101, email Tom.Henley@met.police.uk or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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