An elderly woman was mugged as she rode along a north Oxford street on her mobility scooter.

But victim Anastasia Heath says she would be prepared to meet the offender to help him understand how victims are affected by crime.

Ms Heath, who uses a scooter after lung damage restricted her mobility, was mugged by a youth on a bicycle, who snatched her bag as he rode his bike past her.

At first, she says she thought it was someone bumping into her and only realised what was happening when it was too late.

She said she was left stressed and anxious by the incident, which had caused problems because her diary was in the bag.

But she said she would be prepared to talk to the offender under the restorative justice scheme if he is caught and sentenced.

"Often they haven't got the imagination to appreciate what they have done. They don't see the victims as being quite human," she said.

Under restorative justice, convicted offenders are encouraged to learn about the human consequences of their activities, and in some cases meetings are arranged with victims.

Det Sgt Rebecca Mears, of Oxford police's robbery team, said: "This was a despicable incident, particularly due to the victim's age and vulnerability."

The theft happened in Hobson Road, north Oxford, at about 1.30pm on Sunday (August 22).

Anyone who finds a discarded bag in the area is asked to hand it in to police.

The offender was described as white, in his late teens, about 5ft 10in, athletically built, with short, mousy hair.