An elderly war veteran has accused shoppers of ignoring his cries for help as he was pinned to his car and robbed in broad daylight – in a busy supermarket car park.
Frail Michael Saxby, 83, says he was screaming for help as a man and woman trapped him against his car outside his local Tesco – then made away with his modest life savings.
Disgustingly, no-one ran to aid the helpless pensioner – who can only walk with crutches – even though the attack happened just 20m from the supermarket entrance – at 11.30am, on a busy Friday morning.
Shaken pensioner Michael believes the thieves filmed him on a mobile phone as he entered his PIN at the checkout.
They later mugged him for his wallet and emptied his account of the £700 he relies on to tide him over with his pension payments.
The OAP, whose legs were injured by a landmine in the 1950s Malayan Emergency while he served as an RAF medical orderly, said he was devastated by the ignorance of those who failed to stop the crooks.
Disappointed grandfather Mr Saxby, of Cottenham, Cambs., said: “I went to my car about six spaces from the main entrance when this man took my wallet out of my pocket and then pinned me to my car.
“He kneed me in the chest and when I fought back, the woman grabbed my wrist and snatched my wallet and took my bank cards.
“What made me really angry and upset was I was screaming for help at the top of my voice and there was around 10 people nearby who just walked by and didn’t help.
“One woman did start to approach us but then the woman robber put her finger to her head as if to tell her I was mad and the lady walked away.”
The widower, who was honoured by the Royal Humane Society in 1942 for saving a drowning boy from a river in Cambridgeshire believes the thieves had watched him from the store.
Mr Saxby, who worked at Addenbrooke’s Hospital for 43 years, said: “I had seen the woman who grabbed my wrist in the supermarket restaurant.
“She had her phone up every time an older person was at the till. I am sure she was filming us putting in our PIN.”
Police hunting the callous attackers described them as both wearing dark clothing.
The man was of Mediterranean appearance and aged 23-24, while the woman was white and believed to be in her late teens.
A police spokeswoman said: “This was a callous attack on a vulnerable man and it is vital we trace those responsible.
“Filming people at tills is one tactic used by criminals to get people’s PINs and we urge shoppers to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police.
“We know a number of people witnessed this incident – I urge them to come forward to report what they saw.
i think who ever done this needs a good old time in jail why hit the poor old man its sickening what dee done god pays us all back for or sins