CYCLISTS in York are being warned to be on their guard after ride-by bag snatchers struck in the city again.

Over summer the city saw a string of thefts where thieves on bicycles had overtaken cyclists and grabbed bags from front or rear baskets or snatched bags from people on foot.

At about 7.30am yesterday a woman was riding home from work along Clifton Green when a youth, aged 17 to 18, overtook her on a bicycle and grabbed her handbag from the front basket before pedalling off over Clifton Bridge.

An elderly woman had her shopping bag, which contained her purse, snatched from her by a teenage youth on bicycle as she crossed Salisbury Road at about 2.30pm on Thursday.

A thief pedalled off on a bicycle after he sneaked into a house in Eastlands Avenue at about 4.15pm on Thursday and stole a handbag. He was described as being aged 18 to 20, slim, 6ft tall, with short, fair hair.

He was wearing a blue tracksuit top, which had white stripes, white or cream jeans, and a blue baseball cap.

Sgt Colin Ventress, of York police, urged cyclists to secure their valuables if carrying them in baskets on their bikes and to be aware that thieves were using this method.

Updated: 13:13 Saturday, November 03, 2001