POLICE are seeking witnesses after a teenage girl reported that a man had tried to steal her handbag in Lowestoft.

Officers are asking anyone who was in the Roman Road area of Lowestoft about 3.15pm yesterday (Monday) to come forward after the 17-year-old girl was targeted.

A police officer on patrol was stopped by the teenager who reported that she had been walking along Roman Road towards Sandringham Road and was just past May Road when she heard footsteps behind her.

She said she looked back to see a white man with pale skin, aged about 18, of skinny build, about 5ft 7ins tall, with short brown hair and wearing a dark grey hooded tracksuit top and lighter grey bottoms behind her.

She crossed the road and the man then ran up to her, struck her bottom/thigh area and then grabbed her handbag. An altercation ensued before the man ran off empty-handed.

'It's thought there were a number of people in the area at the time and if you were there police would like to hear from you regardless of whether you saw the incident,' a police spokesman said. 'Officers would also like to speak to you if you saw a man matching this description or if you have any information about who he is.'

• If you can help please call DC 914 Brotherston at Lowestoft CID on 01986 835300.