A handbag snatcher is alleged to have stabbed a woman in her 60s, who died from her injuries, as she resisted the theft in North London.

London’s Metropolitan Police say they’ve made an arrest after the shocking slaying of an unidentified woman, said to be in her 60s, on Burnt Oak Broadway, in Edgware on Thursday.

Witnesses cited by The Times newspaper state they saw a mugger trying to steal a woman’s handbag while she was waiting to board a bus. The woman is said to have attempted to stop the knifeman form taking her belongings.

The paper quotes salon employee Jess Bloom who claims to have seen a bag thief stab victim three times. She said: “It happened at the bus stop and the woman ended up in the middle of the road… The guy was trying to get her handbag but she said ‘no’ and fought back. I saw her pull the handbag twice. He pulled her into the road and stabbed her three times.

“He let go of her and she dropped to the ground. She was covered in blood and his hand was red. He ran off and everyone ran to the woman to help her. I heard the scream.”

The Ambulance Service reported they had a paramedic on the scene within two minutes of the attack, and “ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and members of our tactical response unit… a trauma team from London’s Air Ambulance” were all deployed to the scene. Despite the effort to save the victim’s life, she is reported to have died of stab wounds at the scene.

Police say they have now arrested a 22-year-old man in relation to the death of a woman in Edgware. Detective Superintendent Tony Bellis said of the arrest: “This is a significant development in this investigation and comes as a result of fast-time work from specialist detectives working alongside local officers.

“The investigation remains in its early stages, and we continue to work to establish why this incident took place, including whether the person responsible was known to the woman who died. I would urge people to refrain from speculating about the circumstances while this work is ongoing.”