Elderly warned after brutal attack

The latest victim is a woman aged 87, who suffered a broken shoulder when she was thrown to the floor as her shopping bag was wrenched from her grasp. She was left in agony on the ground by her attacker who fled after searching the bag, which was empty.

The old lady, who lives locally, was found a few minutes later by a teenage boy who summoned help.

Paramedics were called and she was taken by ambulance to Burnley General Hospital where her condition today is described as 'comfortable'.

Det Sgt Mark Gray said: "It is a serious assault in the street and she suffered her injuries as a result of the fall.

"We have no evidence to link the street robbery to the two previous house robberies, although we cannot rule out a connection at this stage.''

The attack, on Monday at 2pm, follows two previous incidents in the immediate area in which old defenceless people were apparently picked out because of their vulnerability and attacked in their own home. The first incident was shortly after midnight on New Year's Day, when a virtually blind 71-year-old man went to the back door of his home in Leyland Street after hearing noises.

He was bundled back inside. His head was repeatedly banged on the floor and he suffered numerous bruises to his head, arms and upper body. A small amount of cash was stolen.

The second attack was on Saturday. The victim was a woman aged 75, who, because of a recent illness, weighs only four and a half stone.

She went to the door of her home in Albert Street after hearing a tap on the window.

She was roughly pushed back inside. Her head was banged on the door frame and floor by the attacker who then covered her head with a bed quilt before making off with cash.

Anyone with information about any of the incidents is asked to contact Burnley CID on 425001.

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