--- description: Bacon is also useful for fighting off thieves. title: 86-year-old Woman Successfully Uses Bacon for Self-Defense image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # This 86-Year Old Woman Fought Off a Thief With Bacon by [Melissa Locker](/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 20, 2016 5:01 PM CUT by [Melissa Locker](/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 20, 2016 5:01 PM CUT An 86-year old woman just found a new use for bacon—theft deterrent. Bacon has been used for everything from [a pizza crust](http://time.com/4200365/bacon-wrapped-pizza-little-caesars/?iid=sr-link5 "undefined") to a [name](http://time.com/4232777/change-name-double-bacon-cheeseburger/?iid=sr-link6 "undefined"), a way to [stop a nosebleed](http://time.com/3403537/ig-nobel-prize-2014-cured-pork-nosebleeds/?iid=sr-link9 "undefined"), [a coffin](http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/03/you-can-now-be-buried-in-a-bacon-coffin/?iid=sr-link2 "undefined"), a [life preserver](http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/05/09/105-year-old-woman-says-bacon-keeps-her-alive/?iid=sr-link10 "undefined"), the [basis for true love,](http://time.com/4035044/oscar-mayer-bacon-dating-app-sizzl/?iid=sr-link3 "undefined") and the [ cure for a broken heart](http://time.com/4356561/nick-jonas-bacon-ty-dolla-sign/?iid=sr-link7 "undefined"). With that list in mind, one would think the world had exhausted every possible use for bacon, but one would be wrong. According to the Greater Manchester Police, Trafford South division, the wily woman had hit up an ATM before heading to the supermarket. She was apparently followed to the store, though, because a still unknown woman grabbed her shopping cart and demanded the cash. Apparently, the elderly woman didn’t want to hand over her cash, though, because according to police who posted the saga [on their Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/GMPTraffordSouth/?fref=nf "undefined"), “she defended herself by repeatedly hitting the female offender over the head with a packet of bacon.” When confronted with a vigorous bacon defense, the would-be thief gave up and fled the supermarket and the woman, her cash, and her bacon were safe. Let’s all[ eat some bacon](http://time.com/4092912/nitrate-nitrite-bacon-cancer-meat/?iid=sr-link5 "undefined") in honor of this incredible achievement. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4414870/this-86-year-old-woman-fought-off-a-thief-with-bacon/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4414870/this-86-year-old-woman-fought-off-a-thief-with-bacon/"},"headline":"This 86-Year Old Woman Fought Off a Thief With Bacon","datePublished":"2016-07-20T17:01:28.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:34:35.362Z","description":"Is there anything that bacon can't do?","url":"https://time.com/4414870/this-86-year-old-woman-fought-off-a-thief-with-bacon/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Crime","Bacon","food and drink"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Locker","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4414870/this-86-year-old-woman-fought-off-a-thief-with-bacon/","name":"This 86-Year Old Woman Fought Off a Thief With Bacon"}}]}] ```