I AM writing in the hope of helping others to avoid what happened to me recently.

At about 6pm I had finished my shopping and got into my car in Safeway car park off Ashley Road in Hale. I reversed out of my parking space and waited to leave the car park.

A car (small red hatchback) stopped in front of me blocking my exit. A man in baseball cap and casual clothes got out from the passenger's side and walked towards my car.

I sat waiting for the car to move out of the way. It didn't.

The man then smashed my front passenger window and grabbed my handbag, which was next to me on the front seat.

He then ran back and got into the car, which drove off and was able to leave the car park quickly as the exit barriers were up.

The man and his accomplices must have watched me get into my car and had seen that I put my handbag on the front seat, so in future I shall try to remember to put all bags out of sight and reach either in my locked boot or on the floor.

However, luckily for me, my bag contained little of value as my purse and keys were underneath it on the seat and therefore left behind by the robber.

He must have been a little peeved when he discovered he had nicked a virtually empty bag! Ha, ha!

Name and address supplied