"YOU'RE NOT having my money. I've worked hard for that," shouted Doreen Jones after a young woman had attempted to mug her while she was withdrawing money at an ATM.
The 81-year-old pensioner from Blackheath in the West Midlands was forced to defend herself after being approached by a pregnant woman holding a sign.
The young woman was attempting to beg for money, but after Doreen told her to leave, she decided to try and take some by force.
Police have recently released the CCTV footage of the incident.
Speaking to BBC's Crimewatch Roadshow, Doreen spoke of how she managed to quickly grab her bank card before pulling the woman back by her hair and forcing her to flee the scene.
"She wasn't expecting me, I tell you!" She said.
"When I got to the ATM it was just me there. [Then] I felt a tap on my left shoulder, and I looked round and it was this young girl. She'd got a piece of paper in her hand."
Doreen explained that the girl then persistently tapped on her shoulder, miming that she wanted food, but was told to go away.
Then, the woman barged Doreen out of the way, and went for her bank card, but the 81-year-old was having none of it.
"I thought 'no you're not having my money I've worked hard for that'," said Doreen before explaining that she grabbed the would-be mugger and yanked her away from the cash machine.
"I grabbed my card first, put it in that hand and then grabbed her [with her other hand]. And I got her hair as well as her collar.
"She started screaming. I don't know why she was screaming. It was me who ought to be screaming and crying."
The young woman ran off round the corner out of sight, leaving Doreen, and her money, safe once more.
The attempted theft happened at around 10.20am on Monday, May 20, 2019.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqYY43u_zTU
