The victim, aged 80, was approached by a man as she walked along Brondesbury Road at 1.10pm on Sunday, 30 May.
He attempted to take her bag from her shoulder, however the victim managed to hold on to the bag until the strap broke.
At this point the suspect fled, with the handbag, in the direction of Christchurch Avenue where he was picked up by a blue car containing two further men and a teenage boy.
Detectives have released images of three men captured inside two shops in Church Road, NW10, where the victim’s bank cards were used.
The men were also accompanied by a teenaged boy, who was with them both at the scene of the robbery and in the shop where the bank cards were used.
Detective Constable Goran Divkovic, from the local policing team in Brent, said: “This was a cowardly crime committed against an innocent woman who was going about her day.
“Although she didn’t suffer any serious injuries, the effects of being a victim of robbery run far deeper than a loss of cash or personal belongings, which in this case, included items of deep sentimental value.
I urge anyone who can name these men to contact police without delay.”
Anyone with information should call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting 391/30May. To remain 100% anonymous call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
