A “despicable” thief followed home and robbed a woman in her 90s.
The woman first noticed the suspect when out shopping in Stirling’s Thistle Shopping Centre.
She became suspicious when the unknown woman stood very close to her, then got the same bus home as her and got off at the same stop.
The victim walked home and was putting recycling bins into her garden when she saw the woman again.
The suspect asked the elderly woman for directions, which she gave, and the suspect then headed along Dunster Road towards the town centre.
When the victim went indoors, she found her handbag and its contents had been stolen.
Following the incident in the morning of Tuesday, March 3, police are searching for the thief.
She is aged between 21 and 40, has long dark hair and was wearing a black and white jacket. She speaks with a foreign accent, thought to be eastern European.
Officers also want to trace an older man with a flat cap who was seen in the area.
Inspector Donna Bryan said: “This was a truly despicable crime against a vulnerable woman who had been in the town enjoying a shopping trip.
“We are currently reviewing the local CCTV network and carrying out door-to-door inquiries in an effort to trace her and ensure she is swiftly arrested.
“Such crimes are thankfully rare and very unusual, however I’m extremely keen to hear from anyone who can help identify the woman or who have any information pertinent to our inquiries.”