POLICE investigating a vicious attack on a war veteran as he fought to protect his wife from burglars hope this photograph of his injuries will lead them to his attacker.

The ‘shocking’ photograph of 89-year-old Bob Schofield shows the ‘defenceless’ victim in hospital with severe facial injuries, including two black eyes, dark bruising, cuts and scratches.

Wounds have been stitched up and bandaged on the elderly man’s bloody face and his eyes are barely open due to the extent of his injuries.

Mr Schofield served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, fighting against Nazi troops and crewing escort ships completing North Atlantic convoy missions from Scapa Flow to Murmansk, dealing with enemy dive bomber attacks and ferocious conditions.

But today he remained in hospital after the attack along with his wife, Mollie, 87, who was physically unharmed but has been left ‘distressed’ and in shock.

Police said the couple woke up when intruders broke into their house, in Chapel Hill, Salterforth, in the early hours of Monday morning, just hours after Remembrance Sunday.

The pair were only discovered hours later when neighbours alerted family members on Monday after their curtains were left undrawn.

Detectives said they are still trying to piece together the order of events that led to the ‘despicable’ attack on Mr Schofield in his own home.

Acting Det Insp Dave Groombridge, of Nelson CID, who is leading the investigation said: “I think it is particularly poignant that this should happen at this time of year. While we acknowledge a crime of this nature is unacceptable at any time of year, for it to happen the day before Armistice Day, is despicable.

“We have chosen to release such an horrific image because we would like to bring it home that an attack like this on a defenceless elderly man is totally unacceptable and we would like all the help we can get to catch whoever is responsible.”

Officers, who have launched a manhunt for the burglars, said an ‘obscene’ level of violence was used during the ‘terrifying ordeal’ and called on other criminals to hand the offenders in.

Det Insp Groombridge added: “It’s hard to imagine a more heartless, cowardly and despicable occurrences and detectives will leave no stone unturned in their efforts to find those responsible.”

“Bob is 89 years of age and can’t have been a serious threat to anyone, the level of violence used is obscene and I appeal to anyone with knowledge of the offence or identity of the offenders to come forward.

“Even those in or on the periphery of crime cannot surely condone this behaviour and I particularly appeal to the criminal fraternity to call time on this and do what is right.”

Anyone with information about the incident should contact Nelson CID on 01282 472618 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.