A HEAVILY pregnant Hampshire woman has told how she is now “scared to walk the streets” after being knocked to the ground by a mugger.

The young mum-to-be, who did not want named, said she feared for the life of her unborn son after she was barged over in the failed robbery attempt.

The 20-year-old, who is six-and-a- half months pregnant with her first child, was pushed to the pavement as she walked to work in the Woolston area of Southampton.

Moments earlier she got off the bus in Portsmouth Road and started walking along Victoria Road, where she works as a lettings consultant.

But as she approached the Age UK charity shop, just yards from her office, she was attacked by the would-be robber who attempted to steal her handbag.

The woman desperately clung on to the bag, which contained her purse and the original scan of her unborn child.

Reliving the terrifying ordeal, she told the Daily Echo: “I was walking along with my headphones in and out of nowhere someone came running at me and barged me to the floor.

“As I lay there they tried to get my handbag off my shoulder, but I wouldn’t let it go so they ran off.”

She added: “I’m scared to walk the streets now and I don’t want to get the bus to work anymore because I know I’ll be on my own.

“The whole thing has really shaken me up, especially because it happened in broad daylight.

“I wasn’t hurt but I was just hoping and praying my baby was okay.”

After struggling to her feet, the woman continued on her way to work, where she was checked over by an ambulance crew.

Doctors carried out a series of tests later on Monday morning, which revealed that her baby had also escaped from the incident unharmed.

Police are now appealing for information after a person wearing a dark hoody, with long brown hair hanging from each side of the hood, was spotted running from the scene.

Anyone with information about the incident, which happened at around 8.45am on Monday, should contact PC Simon Murray at Bitterne police station on 101, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.