A 37-year-old suspected snatch thief was arrested by the police on Saturday afternoon with the help of three public-spirited passers-by.

The victim, a 38-year-old woman, had her purse snatched by a man at Jurong Gateway. Her shouts for help attracted the attention of two passers-by who managed to chase him down and detain him.

The police were eventually called in to arrest the suspect and recover the stolen purse, the police said in a statement on Sunday.

A third passer-by who happened to be driving past during the chase managed to capture the incident on his in-vehicle camera and handed the footage to the police.

Commander of Clementi Police Division, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Melvin Yong, commended the three men who came forward to help the victim. "The two men did a good job to chase and detain the culprit and the other member of public had provided corroborative valuable evidence that would greatly aid us in our investigations.

"The three of them will be commended for their public-spirited effort," he said. "This showcases the importance of police-community partnership in fighting crime."