POLICE issued an appeal for witnesses yesterday after two men attempted to steal a woman’s handbag at Dickson shops on Saturday night.

The 43-year-old woman refused to let go of her handbag when a man grabbed hold of it at about 11.30pm outside the “BWS” store in Dickson Place, causing the man to fall to the ground.

A second man then tried to assist in the robbery but a number of witnesses came to the woman’s aid, and both assailants fled the scene empty-handed towards an alleyway near “BWS”.

The woman was not injured in the attempted robbery.

The offender who grabbed the bag is described as between 23 and 28 years old, Caucasian in appearance and around 178cm (5’10”) tall with a slim build, very fair skin and a narrow face. He was wearing a grey, hooded jumper.

The second man was described as around 17 to 20 years old, Caucasian in appearance and about 190cm (6’3”) tall with a stocky build and broad shoulders, dark hair and dark eyes. He was also wearing a grey, hooded jumper.

Police would like to speak to anyone who saw two men matching the description of the offenders near Dickson Place at about 11.30pm on Saturday, particularly those witnesses who came to the woman’s assistance.

Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or by going to act.crimestoppers.com.au.