A 23-year-old woman, accused of robbing elderly women of their handbags on streets in Shipley, made a first appearance in court yesterday.

Terrie Geddes, of Wycliffe Gardens, Shipley, is alleged to have attacked three women in the town in the space of six months.

She appeared at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court yesterday and was committed to Bradford Crown Court. She was remanded in custody until the next hearing there next Thursday.

Geddes is charged with attempting to rob Helen Young of her handbag and contents at Shipley on April 17.

She faces separate charges of robbing Lillian Turner of her handbag and contents on March 18 and robbing Yvonne Coleman of her handbag and contents, including £580 cash, on October 1 last year.

The first incident is alleged to have taken place in the churchyard at St Paul’s Church when a 51-year-old woman, who was walking with two bags of shopping, had her handbag snatched from her grasp by a suspect who ran off towards Kirkgate.

The bag was recovered close by, but the woman’s purse was missing.

The second alleged robbery took place in Well Croft, Shipley, when an 80-year-old woman had her bag snatched from her shoulder as she walked with her husband.

The pensioner fell and banged her head. She was taken to hospital, but was not seriously injured.

An image of a suspect, in a Bradford City bomber jacket, was captured on CCTV.

The third alleged incident happened on Wednesday afternoon on Westcliffe Road, Shipley.

The elderly woman victim fell to the floor after she was approached from behind and her handbag was grabbed.