An elderly woman has been robbed in broad daylight on Auckland's North Shore and had what appeared to be a gun barrel pointed at her.
The 77-year-old woman was walking to her home in Browns Bay on Saturday morning when police say a male approached her and demanded she give him her hand bag.
Detective Darren Attwood says that when the woman refused, the man presented a metal object, covered in a black cloth, and pointed it straight at her chest.
Det Attwood says the object, which was protruding out of the end of the cloth, appeared to be a gun barrel.
The man then ripped the victim's bag from her shoulder and ran to a waiting mud-covered, brick red flat deck ute, which drove north in the direction of Torbay.
Det Attwood says the woman was badly shaken, but otherwise unharmed.
The man who took the hand bag is described as caucasian, with olive skin, in his early 20s. He is tall and of a slim build. He was wearing dark trousers and a black hooded sweatshirt or jacket with the hood up.
The driver of the vehicle was caucasian, of a medium build and is thought to be in his late 20s or early 30s. He has short dark hair and was wearing a grey top.
Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident, or anyone who was in the area, to come forward.
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