A WOMAN has hit out at Sainsbury’s after she became the latest in a long line of shoppers to fall victim to robbers in the car park of its Chingford store.

Daphne Edwards became the 13th victim of violent thieves outside Sainsbury’s in Low Hall, Chingford, in the last year.

The 56-year-old was hit in the back twice by a a gang as she loaded her shopping into her car. They snatched her handbag, containing £45, her car keys and other personal belongings.

The three robbers were then picked up by another gang member driving a getaway car, which sped off towards Walthamstow.

Ms Edwards, of Cherrydown Avenue, Chingford, later discovered the store’s CCTV cameras are positioned to protect supermarket trolleys, rather than customers using the car park.

She says she is now too scared to return to the store and has been relying on friends to buy her essential items.

Ms Edwards is determined to raise awareness of the dangers of using the store and has hit out at Sainsbury's for what she says is a lack of action on security.

She said: “My physical injuries may appear minimal but my psychological injuries will remain with me for sometime.”

“Given that this is the 21st century, I believe all businesses are aware of their responsibility to customers and would consider that health and safety of your customers should be paramount.

“This was certainly not demonstrated and I am most appalled at the lack of support that I received.”

She said Sainsbury’s had written to her to apologised and had offered her a store voucher, but she remains unimpressed with the retailer’s response.

“What do I need a voucher for? I would rather Sainsbury’s hired security guards and had CCTV cameras covering the car park to make customers feel safe,”she added.

A Sainsbury's spokesman said the retailer is working with local police to make the car park safer.

He added car park is too big for the store to cover with CCTV cameras.

l Anyone with information about the robbery, which happened on January 7 at 6.45pm, should call Crimstoppers on 0800 555 111.