SHOCKED grandmother Mary Green told today how a thief stole her bag and glasses as she was choosing one of her favourite romantic novels at Oxford's central library.

Mrs Green, 89, of Leckford Road, north Oxford, was at the library in the Westgate Centre on Friday morning when the thief struck.

While she was choosing a book by her favourite author Nora Kay, the thief grabbed her bag from the top of her shopping trolley, containing her purse, which had £40 inside, and her glasses.

When the pensioner realised her bag had been taken, she told library staff, who called her a taxi.

She said: "I love reading and I enjoy visiting the library. I read large-print romantic and historical novels and sometimes I use a magnifying glass to help my eyes.

"What this person did is despicable and if I could at least get my glasses back, it would help. This won't put me off going to the library because I enjoy it so much but what happened left me quite shaken.

"Fortunately, the staff were very helpful and have reported the theft to the police. Unfortunately, I didn't get a look at the thief."

Mrs Green's daughter, Diana, 59, added: "It's sickening that an old woman should be targeted while she is choosing a book.

"Mum gets a great deal of pleasure out of reading and her favourites seem to be slushy romances. Whoever did this should be ashamed of themselves."

Mrs Green, who has a 25-year-old grand-daughter called Jocelyn, said her father encouraged her to read ever since she was a pupil at a Northamptonshire boarding school.

She said: "I have always loved reading and I don't intend to stop now, just because of one bad day."

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