A thief snatched a Rolex from the wrist of a 91-year-old man.
The pensioner suffered a minor wrist injury during the incident in Fitzalan Road, Littlehampton, at 2.30pm on Friday.
Police say the theft was "extremely distressing" for the man, and officers have now launched a hunt for a woman they believe to be responsible for the callous crime.
She is 5ft 5in tall and was wearing a colourful dress. After taking the watch, police say she made off towards East Street.
Detective Inspector Kimberley May said: "This was extremely distressing for the victim and we are appealing for any witnesses to come forward or if anyone is offered a Rolex watch for sale to contact us.
"We have increased our patrols in the area and if anyone has concerns please speak to one of our officers."
Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to report any information they may have online or ring 101 quoting serial 694 of 12/02.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article