A PENSIONER suffering from multiple sclerosis fought off thieves who were trying to steal from her.

Linda Kemp, who is 67 and walks with a stick, had had pulled on to her driveway in her car and had opened her car door when she was surrounded by three men.

Two of the men leant on the door, stopping her from closing it.

Linda said: “One of the men standing there and said ‘Can you help my friend? Can you help us?.

“He was clutching his leg and said he thought it was broken. He kept asking where the hospital was.

“Then I heard my passenger door open.

“I looked round and another man had opened the door and his hand was coming in towards my purse which was in my bag.

“I reached across for my stick and brought it down on his hand.

“I told them I knew what they were doing.”

Linda said the man on the passenger side then leant in to try to get her purse but she shouted at him to shut the door and go away.

Feisty Linda then took her purse and phone and put them in her pockets and told the men to leave her alone.

She then set off her car alarm, alerting her neighbour who looked out of his window.

He spotted one of the men removing her purse from her pocket and passing it to another one man.

The neighbour came out and the men threw the purse on the ground before walking off in the direction of Bois Hall Gardens.

Linda, of Colne Road, Halstead, said: “It was extremely frightening.

“I wasn’t scared at the time but I was afterwards.

“I went to visit my mum, who is 94, and I was scared to get out of the car as it was dark.

“I have never been nervous like that before.

“I was worried to put my bins out the next morning as well. I was concerned they could do it again.”

An Essex Police spokesman said inquiries into the incident, which happened at 6pm on Saturday, were continuing.

He appealed to anyone with information should call police on 101.

Alternatively, they can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or crimestoppers-uk.org.