A PLUCKY pensioner has been praised for her bravery after fighting off a would-be mugger who attempted to steal her handbag.

The teenager who tried to rob Elizabeth Bonson, of Endmoor, got more than he bargained for – as the 63-year-old is a former night-club bouncer.

And this week Elizabeth declared: “I’m a pussy cat really and I’m not very strong, but I can handle myself. I won’t have a man try to take my bag.”

She was grabbed from behind while walking in Dowker’s Lane, Kendal, in broad daylight on Saturday afternoon.

But she refused to let go of her handbag, which contained a £50 cheque – a ‘near miss’ prize in The Westmorland Gazette Spot the Dog competition – and family photos, despite being punched in the face.

“It all happened so quickly,” she said. “There was no one else around and I felt a tug on my left arm.

"I could feel someone try to drag my bag off me but I pulled it in to my chest and wouldn’t let go.

“He wasn’t getting my bag – that was my instant reaction.

“We struggled, he hit me in the face and I chased him to the end of the road, but he raced off like a whippet.

"I can handle myself and if I had caught up with him I would have tackled him to the ground.

“My lip had burst where he hit me and I had a cut on my chin. I didn’t think about the consequences at the time but when I told my mum I realised he could have had a knife or anything.”

Miss Bonson spent nine years working as a bouncer at Passions nightclub in Kendal, now called Loft, a job she left just five years ago.

“I learned self-defence to boost my confidence and it meant I could deal with all sorts of brawls and fights,” she said.

“I once saw a man get bottled and I was pushed under a table in a fight.

“When I retired five years ago I never thought I would have to use those skills again - but it gave me the courage to stand up to this man and not shrink back.”

Kendal police continue to investigate the incident and hope to catch the attacker, who was believed to be a teenager, and was wearing an over-sized grey hoodie, black skinny jeans and black trainers.

DC Matt Belshaw said: “The victim in this case was really brave but it is important to remember that the people who commit crimes like this are often desperate and may think nothing of resorting to violence to get their hands on your property.

“I’d always encourage members of the public to consider their own safety and not put themselves in danger.”

Former Kendal mayor Coun John Veevers said he hoped muggers might think twice before targeting women after hearing the story.

“Good on her,” he said.