Hairdresser Lawton Henry tackled a woman who had allegedly run off with a handbag from his shop.

Lawton, who works in Walmgate, York, rugby-tackled the woman and wrestled her to the floor, shouting for someone to call the police.

He then held the woman down until the police arrived and she was arrested.

Helen Kerwin, the passer-by who responded to Lawton's appeal for help, said: "She just ran down in the direction of Walmgate Bar with the bag in her hand.

"Then the girl whose bag it was came out of the shop.

"Then Lawton came out of the shop shouting to call the police, so I called them on my mobile phone.

"He just got hold of her and tackled her to the floor and pinned her down."

Lawton said: "We were downstairs in the shop and heard the door open. I just thought it was another member of staff coming in.

"I went up and saw the bag was gone and chased after her and rugby-tackled her."

The bag belonged to Leanne Thompson, a colleague of Lawton's.

The woman is helping police with their inquiries.

Updated: 15:42 Tuesday, February 27, 2001