A war veteran vowed to carry on selling poppies despite being violently mug-ged of his collection tin, containing just £100.

Grandad Roy Terry, 74, was collecting for the Pitsea and Vange branch of the Royal British Legion at Sainsbury's in Cricketers Way, Nevendon, when the robber struck.

Mr Terry of Lincoln Road, Basildon, was pushed from behind by the thief who then grabbed the box from a table.

The pensioner scrambled to his feet and gave chase, but slipped and fell, injuring his knee and arm, while the crook escaped on a bicycle.

Defiant Mr Terry, who served with the Welch regiment in Korea during the Second World War and lost 22 of his comrades during the conflict, described the robber as the "lowest of the low".

He said: "I stood here all afternoon and the public were so generous giving me their money, and then some scallywag runs away with it.

"I was very upset, we only do the Poppy Appeal once a year and something likes this happens, it's not right.

"I was standing with my back to the foyer and I felt a hand on my back, then I was pushed and the man grabbed the poppy tin.

"As I turned around he dashed out of the door, I raced after him, but I fell."

Mr Terry added: "I didn't stop to think about the consequences, the man could have had a knife and beat me up.

"But it was my gut reaction. If you are the type to have a go, you will."

Showing true fighting spirit Mr Terry was back selling the poppies, which raise cash for veterans and their families, less than 24 hours after his ordeal.

He added: "Even if I hadn't gone to Korea I would still be here because the poppy appeal does so much for ex-servicemen."

In the wake of the robbery, store manager Alan Fancy said shocked Sainsbury's staff decided to place buckets on counters with a poster explaining what happened.

Sgt Phil Whitehead of Pitsea police urged any witnesses to come forward. He said: "Robbery is a despicable crime anyway, because it is theft with violence.

"Add that to the fact that this was an elderly, vulnerable man giving up his time for this appeal and that makes it three times as bad."

The man being hunted by police is described as white, aged in his 20s, around 5ft 7 and of slim build.

He had a pockmarked face and wore a baseball cap or beanie hat and a light coloured jacket.

Anyone with information about the incident which happened at around 5.30pm last Thursday, should contact police 01268 532212.