An 82-year-old woman has said she is afraid to go out in crowds after having a bag with £200 in it swiped while she was out shopping in Shepherd's Bush.

Jacqui Narain also lost rosary beads which had belonged to her mother, as well as bank and Post Office cards and her house keys when the bag was stolen while she shopped in the West 12 Shopping Centre (W12).

It happened at around lunchtime on January 8, when Mrs Narain was carrying money given to her by friends and family ahead of her 82nd birthday.

The victim also fears being spotted by the same thief and targeted again.

Shepherd's Bush beat bobby PC Graham Cochran has now set up a crowdfunding appeal to help replace the money.

Mrs Narain, from Hammersmith, remembers shopping at Card Factory, putting her money back in her purse and placing the purse in her bag, which was in her shopping trolley.

But when she went to pay for items at Poundland she saw it was missing.

She rushed back to Card Factory before realising she had fallen victim to a theft.

She said: “I was panicked. I was in shock.

“I've never had anything like this happen to me before.

“The bag had £200 and bits that women carry around with them.

“I'm a Roman Catholic and it had rosary beads zipped in a pocket which belonged to my mother and that was taken.

“That was of sentimental value because she's been gone 35 years now. I carried it around and felt it guarded me.”

Police helped Mrs Narain get back into her house and since then she has been struggling to get issued with new bank cards and other items taken.

And the theft has of course left her shaken.

"Because of what's happened to me I don't want to go to W12 anymore," she said.

“I'm not going out as much as I usually do and I don't like to go where there's a crowd.

“And I won't stand in a queue if I can avoid it, I try to use self-service checkouts when I can.

“I'm scared. I try to avoid bumping into people.

“I'm more suspicious if I see someone hanging about, and I know it sounds paranoid but I'm worried if I go out wearing the same clothes that the thief will recognise me and target me again.

“It's really frightening.”

PC Graham Cochran outside Shepherd's Bush police station

Unfortunately police say nothing was picked up on CCTV and they have no leads.

But Mrs Narain was still full of praise for PC Cochran, saying: “The police have been wonderful.

"PC Cochran has been lovely and really nice. He's a charming man.”

Anyone with information on the theft can contact police on 101

To give money to the fundraising page set up by PC Cochran to replace the birthday money stolen from Mrs Narain, see here.

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