Police are on the lookout for a man, aged between 40 and 50, whom they believe snatched jewellery from three elderly women in Gżira in separate incidents between Friday and yesterday.

One of the thefts took place took place on Friday morning while the other two happened yesterday.

Sources said the suspect has adopted the same pattern in all three cases: he approaches his target, grabs the jewellery around their neck and runs off. A 78-year-old woman walking in Sir Hilderbrand Oakes Street at 9.20am on Friday came across a man who snatched her necklace and ran off.

Although the woman screamed for help, the only people in the vicinity were senior citizens who were unable to give chase as the thief disappeared into the side streets.

One witness told The Sunday Times he was walking on the pavement on the other side of the road when he heard a woman desperately screaming “help, help” and saw a man fleeing the scene.

Yesterday, the thief struck again and police believe it was the same person because of similar descriptions given by the three elderly victims.

At 9.25am, he stole an 80-year-old woman’s necklace as she was walking through Parisio Street.

Just an hour-and-a-half later, at 10.50am, the thief struck again, this time back in Sir Hilderbrand Oakes Street, where he stole an 82-year-old woman’s gold necklace.

Sources said the man was wearing a yellow T-shirt and grey Bermuda shorts.