Gardaí hunt man who injured elderly woman during mugging on busy Cork street

A woman in Cork city was mugged while Christmas shopping yesterday evening in an incident described by gardaí as "horrible, random and vicious".

The woman, who is around 70 years old and was accompanied by another woman, was walking in the direction of the Clayton Hotel on Lapp’s Quay when she was attacked from behind.

The incident occurred on Parnell Place where it meets Oliver Plunkett Street and Maylor Street.

A man knocked the woman to the ground and stole her handbag.

The area at the time was busy with Christmas shoppers and a number of passersby intervened and chased the culprit who dropped the handbag and ran off.

The two women continued to the hotel where staff alerted the gardaí.

It is understood the woman received facial injuries from being brought to the ground.

Gardaí are now investigating the assault and are examining CCTV footage in an effort to identify the culprit.