A BRAVE teenager has been hailed a hero for chasing off a violent mugger who attacked an elderly woman – and retrieving her handbag.

Connor Clifford, 18, instinctively pursued the thug who targeted the woman, 73, at about 11am on Monday.

Connor recalled how he was relaxing at his home, in Lonsdale Road, Southend, as the drama unfolded outside.

He said: “My room faces out onto the road and I was playing on my Playstation when I heard her scream.

“It was so loud and it was really upsetting how she was shouting out for help.

“I just ran outside, in my socks.

“As soon as I saw him running away, I was down the stairs and straight out onto the street.

“I saw him running off with her handbag. I could see she was crying and I just chased him.”

The teenager chased the crook along Rylands Road and into Norwich Avenue.

In desperation, the thief threw the woman’s bag to the ground with most of her valuables still inside, at the entrance to an alley leading to Cluny Square.

Connor said: “While I was chasing him, I did think, ‘What am I actually going to do if I catch him?’ “Luckily, he dropped the bag, but he could have been carrying a weapon or something.

“I didn’t think about that.”

He then saw a neighbour in a car and the pair drove around looking for the thief until the police arrived.

He said: “When I got back to the woman, she was saying ‘sorry’.

“I just felt so bad for her, it was the worst thing.

“I’m amazed how anyone could do that sort of thing. I think anyone would have done the same as I did in that situation.”

Councillor Paul van Looy, founder of the St Luke’s Residents’ Association, said the association plans to give Mr Clifford a reward for his actions from its funds.

He said: “He’s a hero. To go after someone who had mugged an old lady, not knowing if he had a knife or whatever – not many people would have done that.”

-A 37-year-old man from Southend was arrested on Tuesday over the incident. He has been bailed until September 24.