A KNIFE wielding robber burst into a ladies' beetle drive threatening to kill the elderly women before stealing their handbags containing hundreds of pounds.

The 11 women, some in their late 80s, were left shocked and scared after the balaclava clad robber entered Thurgoland Village Hall on Tuesday night and threatened them with a carving knife. He grabbed three handbags and then ran out.

Kathleen Hodgkinson, 86, of Fir Tree Estate, said the man pointed the knife at her back and said "I'll f***ing kill you" before grabbing her bag, which contained more than £150.

She added: "I had the group's lottery money and my pension in my bag and it's all gone.

"I have barely slept since it happened, I just keep replaying it in my mind. It really terrified us."