visitors when a horse buggy in which they were riding ended up in the bushes.

The couple were riding in a carriage from the entrance of the Southampton Princess Hotel along the drive toward the South Shore around 10.30 p.m. on Wednesday.

A man rode alongside the buggy and snatched a handbag from the buggy seat. The driver attempted to grab the arm of the thief, but was pulled out of the buggy and fell to the ground as the cyclist sped away.

The horse became frightened by the noise and bolted out of control. The passengers managed to jump free before the horse and buggy mounted a kerb and went over an embankment into thick bushes.

The horse and passengers escaped injury. The buggy was eventually pulled free from the bushes and back up the embankment with the assistance of the Fire Service.

The suspect managed to escape with the brown leather bag and its contents along South Road. The bag contained a watch, keys, credit and bank cards, US cash and other personal items.

Southampton Princess general manager Allan Trew said this was the first incident of its kind to happen at the hotel, although a similar incident occurred last week at Sonesta Beach Hotel when a thief stole items from a carriage.

"We have security that does patrol the property and we will certainly step up our patrols,'' Mr. Trew said.

"Unfortunately, this is a trend that we see increasing on the Island and we must be more vigilant.'' According to carriage driver David Burrows, the tourists were pretty upbeat about the whole incident.