Cape Town – A young purse snatcher was hunted down and burnt to death by residents fed up of crime.

The unidentified man is the 18th victim of mob justice in the Cape since the start of last year.

Dogs gnawed at the man’s charred remains in the street where it was left by residents as a warning sign to other criminals.

Witnesses said the man, believed to be in his 20s, was cornered after he allegedly snatched a handbag from a woman who was on her way to the train station early on Tuesday morning.

The woman was on her way to work when she was approached by the thief.

She screamed for help, alerting residents as the man dashed off with her handbag.

For more details go to http://www.iol.co.za