An 80-year-old woman has thwarted an attempted carjacking in inner Melbourne, refusing her attacker’s demands to be driven to the airport while she had a barbecue fork held to her neck.

The woman, who managed to calm the alleged carjacker down and dropped her off at a nearby street, told police she felt sorry for her attacker and could tell “she was in a hard spot”.

The woman was last spotted walking along Grey Street in St Kilda.Credit:Victoria Police

CCTV footage of the alleged attacker before the incident shows her angrily pushing a wheelie bin to the ground before walking off.

According to police, the 80-year-old was getting in her car after going shopping along St Kilda Road on July 6 when the female jumped into the passenger seat, told her to hand over her purse, and demanded to be driven to the airport.

When the senior citizen refused to comply, the woman allegedly pulled a barbecue carving fork out of her backpack, held it to the victim’s neck, and pulled her by the hair.

CCTV images of the alleged attacker.Credit:Police Media

Remarkably, the driver managed to calm the woman down and dropped her off without incident along Carlisle Street.

Investigators believe the woman’s demand to be taken to Melbourne Airport could indicate she is from interstate. They are reviewing weeks’ worth of CCTV footage in the hope of identifying her. No witnesses have come forward so far and fingerprints collected at the scene have turned out to be inconclusive.

Senior Constable Rebecca MacInnes, from the Port Phillip criminal investigation unit, said the victim was “extremely upset” and no longer wanted to drive.

“It’s such a horrible, horrible crime committed against a vulnerable member of the community,” she said. “To have an 80-year-old woman going about her everyday life, doing her shopping, to be approached by somebody like that and to go through it would be extremely traumatic.”

MacInnes said the woman had likely spotted the 80-year-old at the shops and followed her to her car, an older model white Holden. She said it was unclear what the woman was doing in St Kilda or why she was carrying the fork.

The woman is described as having fair skin and hair. She was wearing a white jumper and pants, black shoes, and was carrying a multicoloured backpack. She was also holding a black puffer jacket.

She was last spotted walking along Grey Street.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

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