A gang of men and a Bradford firefighter have been hailed heroes for catching a man suspected of mugging an elderly woman in broad daylight yesterday.

The 76-year-old slightly-built pensioner was getting into a minicab in Fagley Road, Bradford, when a thief snatched her purse from her hand.

Private hire driver Graham Wyrill, 62, saw the man run away and shouted “stop him, he’s just mugged this woman,” before the men gave chase.

They caught up with the suspect, grabbed him and hauled him to the ground.

Following a struggle, the man got up and again tried to run away but a fireman, who had dialled 999 after witnessing the robbery, chased and caught him seconds before police arrived.

DS Ben McDonald, of North Bradford and Airedale CID, described all the men who had tackled the suspect as good Samaritans and praised their “public spirit” for tackling the robber.

And he appealed to the men to make themselves known in case a prosecution of the suspect follows. He said: “I would ask those men who gave chase to come forward as they will be witnesses to the robbery and we need to speak to them.”

Mr Wyrill, a driver for Fagley taxis, had taken the woman to Killinghall Post Office to collect her pension.

She left the post office at the corner of Killinghall Road and Fagley Road when the robbery happened at about 9.50am.

Mr Wyrill said: “This lad came from nowhere, and he was ripping the purse from her hand.

“He ran off down Fagley Road towards a load of people. They stopped him and held him down while somebody rang police.”

The group and the fireman then took the suspect to a back yard where a resident said he could be held until police arrived.

The men then left the scene but, in the confusion, the suspect was able to escape. He was eventually caught by the firefighter and police.

The woman was left shaken but was not badly injured, police said.

DS McDonald said: “We would like to thank the men and fireman involved for their public spirited behaviour in helping detain a suspect in this case.”

A 30-year-old Braithwaite man was in police custody last night after being arrested on suspicion of robbery in connection with the incident.

Any witnesses should contact at Airedale and North Bradford CID on 0845 6060606.

e-mail: marc.meneaud @telegraphandargus.co.uk.