Plucky grandmother Catherine McGinty saw red when a robber snatched her rucksack and threatened her with a knife - in Haworth church.

Mrs McGinty, 50, leapt to her feet and chased after the thief, who struck in Haworth Parish Church as she rested in a pew.

The robber pulled out a knife and pointed it at her as he panicked in his bid to open the swing doors at the rear of the church to make his escape.

"I wasn't frightened - I was just livid. I had my hiking boots on and was prepared to kick him where it hurts," said Mrs McGinty, who was resting in the church as she waited for a bus to take her home.

"I was so angry at what he had done. The bag had all my valuables in it."

The robber, a man in his early 20s, snatched the bag, which was on the pew next to her and Mrs McGinty charged after him shouting for him to stop.

She grabbed the rucksack and managed to get it from him as he struggled to get out of the church.

"The doors swing outwards but he tried to pull them in and he couldn't get out. That's when I saw the knife. I was pulling at the strap and he let go."

Several people were visiting the church - famous for its connections with the Bronte family - and on hearing Mrs McGinty shouting, moved towards the scuffle at the door.

"He had a look of desperation on his face - absolute terror. He was very frightened - he was like a rat in a trap," she said.

Mrs McGinty, from Allerton, who is studying part-time for a degree at Bradford University, said she did not hate the attacker.

"I have prayed for him. I thank God I'm not in that position. He needs help. I have sympathy for him."

It was only after the ordeal was over that she realised the danger she had been in.

"I sat down and it dawned on me the seriousness of the situation. I felt lousy - terrible - I just wanted to get home and have a cup of tea," she said.

Mrs McGinty was visiting Haworth to see one of her three daughters and was waiting for the bus when the robber struck at about 3.15pm on Saturday.

Det Insp Gary Baker, of Keighley police, said: "This was a despicable act on a woman enjoying a few minutes rest in a church."

The robber snatched the rucksack and the woman saw him walking towards the church door and shouted at him.

"She caught up with him near the door and she grabbed hold of the rucksack and a struggle ensued during which the man took out a knife and threatened her with it."

He is described as white, in his early 20s, 5ft 6in tall, with a slim boyish figure, long dark hair swept back, stubble on his chin and dark eyes. He was wearing a dark blue and red zip fronted jacket.

Following the incident, the rector of Haworth, the Rev Paul Slater, said CCTV could now be installed.

He said he was shocked at the incident, which had been the only serious attack in the church since he took over five years ago.

"We have looked into the possibility of fitting closed circuit television in the past, but given this incident I will be bringing it up again at the parochial church council," said Mr Slater.

"CCTV does pose a question about people's civil liberty, but if it makes people feel safer in church then it is worth doing."

He added that there had been minor pilfering in the past and occasionally the donation boxes were broken into and two speakers from the public address system were taken several years ago.

"It is important that the church remains open, not just because people want to visit the place where most of the Brontes are buried, but because many people come here to pray," says Mr Slater.

"In the summer we get several hundred requests on the prayer tree.

"The small material losses we suffer are relatively small and I believe it is a reasonable price to pay to keep the church open."

Anyone with information should telephone Keighley police on 617059 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

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