I would like to congratulate the young scumbag who showed his outstanding bravery, courage and heroism when he followed my elderly mother home in the St James's Street area, on January 1, at around 5.30pm, and demanded her handbag.

It must have taken great courage to attack a frail old lady in this manner.

You managed to steal around £20 in cash which, in itself, is of no real importance - I can easily replace that for her.

You may also wish to know you stole her hearing aid, reading glasses and the few other personal possessions that are only of any value to her.

What you did steal from her that is of far more importance is her fragile independence.

She in now terrified to go out of her house, even in the company of a friend.

You did not realise, of course, that she is blind in one eye and only partially sighted in the other, is very deaf and walks only with the aid of walking sticks and then only in the company of a friend.

I don't think I have mentioned that she in also only about 4ft 10in tall, very frail and 90 years old, a real challenge to a scumbag like you.

I bet the sight of her almost frightened the life out of you.

Her main regret in all of this at the moment, in spite of her frailty and age, poor eyesight and health, is she was not able to "see him, catch hold of him and give him a good clout with my stick".

That, my friend, is true courage. Enjoy your ill-gotten gains while you can. What goes around comes around. Hopefully, soon in your case.

Finally, I would like to add a word of praise for the police who attended to my mother within a matter of minutes after receiving a 999 call.

-Name and address supplied