Grandmother Has Bag Stolen As She Lays Poppies On Fathers Grave

A grandmother had her handbag stolen as she laid poppies at the grave of her war hero father on Remembrance Day.

Rita Herrington had the bag taken from the passenger footwell of her car as she knelt at the grave to lay a Remembrance Cross just a few yards away.

Her husband attempted to give chase but tripped and hit his face on the ground, cutting his nose and hands.

The elderly couple were left shaken after the theft which happened at around 3pm on Friday - just four hours after the nation had paused to remember the fallen.

The grandparents had parked up at the Stourbridge Road cemetery so Mrs Herrington, aged 75, could put a Remembrance Cross and poppies on the grave of her father, Fred Russon, who fought in the First World War. He survived the war and died at the age of 69.
Their silver Vauxhall Meriva was left unlocked as they saw nobody around and were only stopping for a few minutes a short distance away. 

The man, thought to be in his late teens or early 20s, was seen running off towards a dark blue car with the bag, which contained bank cards, a small amount of change and sentimental photographs.