this week after a night-time attack on Pitts Bay Road on Monday.

And in a separate incident, a motorbike rider struck twice yesterday when he snatched a bag from a woman's bike and then returned to steal her handbag.

In Monday's attack, two female visitors, aged 76 and 72, were walking near Waterloo House around 10.45 p.m. on Monday when a purse snatcher came up behind them, pushed the older woman to the ground and fled with her handbag.

Polic said the man then ran in the direction of Hamilton.

Yesterday, a 30-year-old Paget woman was riding her motorbike to work along Middle Road at about 9.20 a.m. when another bike came alongside her and the rider grabbed a bag from her rear basket.

A Police spokesman said: "Realising the bag was light and contained little value, the offender threw it on the road and carried on.'' The woman stopped her bike and the offender turned his bike around and came back to steal her handbag from the basket.

"Despite chasing the offender towards Cobb's Hill, he managed to escape with the handbag,'' the spokesman said. "The importance of securing bags properly in the basket so they cannot be stolen cannot be emphasised enough.'' Police say the bike rider is described as light skinned, with a heavy build, wearing a white jacket with brown trim and "Texas'' logo on the back. Anyone with any information is asked to contact CID at 295-0011.