THE robber responsible for a 90-year-old woman's death in a street mugging had lain in wait for her.

Detectives revealed the lone thief, who was sitting in a small blue car in Coniston Road, Meltham, could not even wait for Connie Mitchell to walk past him.

He reversed up to her, snatched her handbag and callously drove away leaving her badly distressed on the ground.

Police are now treating her death as manslaughter - amid fears the robber could strike again.

When the thief saw Mrs Mitchell he reversed his Citroen AX up to her, reached out through the window and grabbed her bag.

He then sped away as Mrs Mitchell fell over.

She banged her head and died at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary on Tuesday - three weeks after the robbery near her home on Monday, February 27.

At most there was £20 in her handbag.

During a press conference at Huddersfield police station, Mrs Mitchell's distraught daughter, 49-year- old Margaret Berry, appealed for people to help police catch the killer.

Mrs Berry, who broke down in tears several times, said: "Mum was completely independent and was always an active member of her local community.

"She lived in Meltham all her life and walked into the village a couple of times a week to do her shopping.

"That's what she was doing on the Monday when this happened."

And she appealed to people:

"If you have any bit of information - even if you feel it is unimportant - please contact the police before this happens to someone else's mum."

Mrs Berry, who lives in Beverley, left the room with husband, David, immediately after giving her emotional statement and was too upset to answer any questions.

The inquiry is being led by Det Supt Andy Brennan from West Yorkshire Police's Homicide And Major Enquiry Team.

He said: "It really does beggar belief when a 90-year-old lady can't walk down a street in the middle of the day.

"We are now treating this as a potential manslaughter.

"From witnesses it is known the offender sat there waiting for Connie to walk past."

He revealed how the investigation has progressed.

Police found the Citroen on Heath View Street in Halifax on Monday, March 6 and identified it as the car used in the robbery.

Its registration is K225 HWY.

It had been bought from a garage in the Luddenden Foot area of Halifax on February 23.

The man who bought it said he lived in the Arden Road area of Bradford and gave the correct postcode for that street.

He is white, in his 30s, about 5ft 10ins tall and thin with brown hair.

Police believe the culprit has links with Heath View Street in Halifax, Arden Road in Bradford and Meltham and have urged people to think of anyone they know who fits this profile.

Det Supt Brennan said: "It may be he has friends or even relatives in Meltham or had been in the area looking for a potential victim."

The car had a union flag painted on the roof when it was sold, but that had been painted out by the time of the robbery.

Det Supt Brennan said: "We are keen to speak to anyone who saw the car between February 23 and March 6. Who was using it?

"In those four days someone has painted the roof and someone must have seen or knows about it."

Det Supt Brennan said there had been two other muggings like this so far this year - one in Huddersfield and the other in Calderdale. He had not dismissed the possibility that they were linked.

Mrs Mitchell had worked at David Brown Tractors in Meltham and also done voluntary work in the village's schools.

She was a member of Meltham Methodist Church and involved in many fundraising events there.

Det Supt Brennan

directly appealed to the mugger to give himself up.

"We would appeal for the person responsible to contact us as a matter of urgency," he said.

Contact Huddersfield Police helpdesk on 01484 436659, Huddersfield CID on 01484 436685 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.