A Dundee mother has told of her panic and shock as she chased a man who had robbed her as she cycled home from work.
Bayarmaa Medley, 42, was making her way from Ninewells Hospital to her Lochee home when the male ran up to her from behind and grabbed her handbag from the bicycle’s basket.
Ms Medley, a genetic biologist at the hospital, said she had screamed in vain for help before setting off after the raider.
Despite her efforts, the man escaped with her handbag, leaving Ms Medley “angry and scared”.
She said: “I was cycling back home and it was between half five and six at night. I crossed Lochee Road and went on to a path which is like a hill up to Coupar Street.
“I was pushing hard because it is quite steep and I heard a male voice from behind me. He was shouting ‘push, push’ or something like that, I can’t remember his words.
“I didn’t really pay any attention and I wasn’t sure if it was one person or several people. I didn’t look up at the voice.”
Ms Medley continued her journey on to Gordon Street when the man struck on Friday.
She said: “I heard these very, very loud footsteps behind me, running. I immediately panicked and wondered what was happening.
“I looked round and the guy almost jumped into me and grabbed my bag and ran away back around the corner. The bag was in the basket and he saw the opportunity.
“I felt terrible, I was shocked. I screamed and I couldn’t even move. I started shouting ‘help, help, help’, hoping that somebody would come out of their house but there was nobody.”
Although shocked at the robbery, Ms Medley started running after the man, who managed to escape.
She said: I don’t know what I was doing. It was just my reaction to run after him.
“I ran after him on to Lochee Road. This guy was approaching and I asked him to help me contact the police, which he did.”
Ms Medley, who lost bank cards and personal possessions including a mobile phone in the robbery, said she was still coming to terms with her ordeal.
She said: “After it, I was quite angry. It was daylight and I was going home. He had been standing there and watching me. It made me very angry to be robbed like that. When I came home I was very scared.”
Police have launched an investigation into the May 10 incident and ask anyone with information to call them on 101.