POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a 74-year-old woman was mugged in Prestwich.

The victim was at the Metrolink Station in Prestwich at 3.15pm on Wednesday, when she was approached by a man from behind and hit on the head with an unknown object.

Her assailant then grabbed her handbag. When she refused to let go, she was dragged approximately 15 yards across the car park of the station to a dark coloured four door car.

The man got into the car and the driver (who was already in the car waiting) began to rev the engine. The victim had no choice but to let go of her handbag.

The woman was left with severe bruising to her left shoulder and cuts and bruises to her arms and legs. She was also extremely shocked by her ordeal.

The attacker is described as: a white man aged between 18 and 20 years of age, about five feet five inches tall. He was wearing white woollen hat with one blue and one pink horizontal stripe around it and a dark top with no zip or buttons.

The handbag contained just £60 in cash.

Anyone with any information about the incident can call Whitefield CID on 0161 856 8240 or the confidential Crimestopppers line 0800 555 111.