The kindness of strangers: a gang of scary-looking youths stepped in to save me from being mugged

I was having some trouble getting the car door to open when I suddenly felt hands around my neck. A voice behind me said ‘give me your purse’

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Late one evening in 1986, I had stopped at the pub with some friends for what was meant to be one drink. We’d parked in a nearby supermarket car park and I’d left my dog in the backseat with the window rolled down, thinking we wouldn’t be gone long. As my friends continued drinking, I walked alone to fetch my dog, not wanting to leave him alone any longer.

I was having some trouble getting the car door to open when I suddenly felt hands around my neck. A voice behind me said “Give me your purse”. In the grip around my neck, I could feel something sharp, cool and metal against my skin.