A female university student was left with a broken collar bone when she became the victim of a drive-by bag snatch, a court was told.

University student Humera Begum was dragged along the ground as she desperately tried to stop Stephen Toth from stealing her bag.

Toth, 23, was today jailed for three years by Judge Roger Scott.

The court was told that the victim had missed three months of her final year of university and was out of pocket to the tune of £1,500 because she had been unable to work.

The driver of the car, Zaffer Hussain, was due to be sentenced alongside Toth but his barrister Emma Downing told Judge Scott that he had fled court before the case was called on.

Judge Scott issued a warrant for his arrest.

Prosecutor Richard Smith told Bradford Crown Court that Miss Begum had been waiting to cross White Abbey Road, Bradford, in March when the two men attacked.

They drove at speed towards their victim as Toth leaned out of the passenger window and grabbed hold of the bag.

But Miss Begun bravely clung on as Toth tried to wrestle it away from her. He was shouting at her to let go and turning red in the face but Miss Begum refused to give in.

She was pulled into the side of the car and fell to the ground while still clinging on and was dragged a few metres down the street.

"She was screaming but still managed to hold on to the bag," Mr Smith said.

Eventually Toth gave in and the pair sped away.

An ambulance was called for Miss Begum who had suffered a broken collar bone. In a victim impact statement read to the court she said that she had suffered complications with the injury and requires further surgery.

She described how she now only goes out if her brothers are with her and never goes out with her bag.

Stephen Wood, for Toth, of Bullroyd Avenue, Bradford, said that he had shown remorse for what he had done and had written a letter of apology to his victim.

He said after the incident Toth had made the first steps to get himself off drugs and is now clean.

Passing sentence, Judge Scott remarked that this type of offence was becoming more prevalent and added: "It's a damning observation that a young lady does not go out with her handbag."