An 82-year-old woman was dragged along the pavement as she battled with a mugger who went for her handbag.

The uneven struggle ended when the thief dislocated the woman's finger and escaped with the bag.

Plucky Marjorie Hallett screamed "You rotten coward" at her attacker as he ran off with her pension money, including cash she was saving for new false teeth.

Recovering at her home in Kemp Town, Brighton, Mrs Hallett was close to tears as she told of the robbery.

She said: "I think it is awful. He was a fit young man and what he did was cowardly.

"There are a lot of older people in this area, many having to use walking frames and sticks, and some young people take the mickey out of them.

"They don't realise that these pensioners worked in munitions factories and fought in the war. I think it's terrible."

Mrs Hallett was walking with her 87-year-old sister Daisy in Somerset Street, off Eastern Road, Brighton, when the thief struck.

He crept up behind her and grabbed the bag strap, yanking her backwards.

She said: "The next thing I knew I was on the ground and he was running away. I called out 'No, no' and 'Help me'."

A passer-by briefly gave chase but the offender got away.

The robbery happened outside Evelyn Glennie Court, almost opposite the Gala Bingo building, at 4.15pm on Monday.

Mrs Hallett was treated at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton. Still shaking from her ordeal, she said: "I want to warn all elderly ladies - keep your purses and bags inside your coats and don't display them.

"As for the coward who attacked me, I'd like to see him put away for a long time."

Detective Sergeant Peter Smith, of Brighton CID, described the attack as despicable.

He said: "It makes us angry, and even villains tell us they hate this sort of crime against elderly people."

The offender is in his 20s, white, 5ft 10in tall and has short dark hair. He wore a beige three-quarter-length jacket and dark trousers.

Anyone with information should call Mr Smith on 0845 6070999.