AN ELDERLY man chased off two thieves who tried to steal his wife’s purse in a supermarket car park.

Graham Oster-Ritter, 69, saw off the two men who tried to dupe him and his wife, Penny, at Morrisons, in London Road, Hadleigh.

The crooks approached the couple as they sat in their car and told them it was leaking petrol.

Mr Oster-Ritter got out to look, but when he could not find anything he became suspicious and got back inside.

One of the conmen then reached through the pensioner’s car window to shake his hand, but instead snatched his mobile phone and pressed the vehicle’s boot-release.

Mr Oster-Ritter managed to grab his phone back, while his wife jumped out in time to see the second conman taking her purse from the car’s boot.

Mr Oster-Ritter, of London Road, said: “My wife saw one of them with her purse unzipped and her prompt action stopped him taking her cards.

“At that point I realised that something was seriously wrong, so I sounded the horn continuously for several seconds which frightened them off and aroused the attention of other people in the car park.

“They ran off towards the alleyway at the side of the supermarket and I went after them for a short distance.

“But, as they could walk faster than I could run, I gave up and called the police.”

Mr Oster-Ritter said the pair had been behind him and his wife at the checkout and had watched Mrs Oster-Ritter as she entered her Pin.

He believes they had memorised her Pin and had been attempting to distract them so they could take her bank cards.

He added: “We don’t feel too shaken by what happened, but are just glad we managed to stop them.”

The crooks were Eastern European men and aged in their thirties.

One was dressed in a pin stripe business suit while the other was wearing a brown jacket.

Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact them on 101.