A THUG beat up an elderly Morecambe shopkeeper who had allowed him to use her toilet.

Police have described the attack as 'desperate' and warned that there is a possibility that the thug will strike again.

The man walked into the shop on Seaborn Road, Morecambe at around 5.45pm on Sunday evening.

He talked to the 67-year-old shopkeeper and asked her about the possibility of taking a lease out on a nearby flat.

When he had finished, the man asked if he could use the toilet.

The woman agreed, and her attacker went upstairs.

When he returned, his demeanour had changed and he grabbed the woman's wrists, ordering her back into the private area of the shop behind the counter.

There, he pushed her to the floor, before pulling her back to her feet again.

The woman then shouted at him and pointed to her injured leg.

This prompted the man to walk off

The woman was taken to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and received an injury to her left leg.

Det Sgt Mark Salisbury of Morecambe police said: "This is a desperate act and all attempts to trace and apprehend him will be made.

There is a serious possibility of this man re-offending or committing a similar type of offence again."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Morecambe police on 01524 63333.