A WOMAN lost her bag and items worth over $1,000 to a snatch thief early on Sunday - but not without a struggle.

The woman, in her early 20s, was walking with a teenage male companion along Upper Circular Road towards Clarke Quay when a man came from behind and snatched the bag from the woman's shoulder.

A struggle between the thief and her companion ensued, leading to a chase in which the thief got away.

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