A WOMAN enjoying the sunshine in her back yard was left with a fractured skull after yobs hurled a stone over her wall.

Today the woman's family slammed the yobs who injured the mum-of-three and claimed: "She could have been killed."

Ann Whiteside, 56, of Midsummer Street, Blackburn, had to spend two days in hospital after being hit on Thursday evening as she pottered around in her garden.

She needed eight stitches, suffered a fractured skull, and was also left with a badly swollen eye.

Ann, who does not work due to health reasons, was discharged from hospital on Saturday afternoon.

She said: "The ambulancemen came up and bandaged my head.

"I got a bit of a shock, and it could have been much worse."

Ann's angry daughter, Joanne, 26, of Lower Hazel Close, said she had taken her mum in to help her recover.

Joanne said: "We want them caught. My mum doesn't need this.

"We've never had any trouble before in the area.

"They were young kids and there were probably three or four a bit older who should have had more sense than that.

"They could have hit a young child, my six year old was in the house at that time."

Ann's husband, Ronnie, 57, said: "We want these people caught."

Inspector Stuart Bruce of Blackburn Police confirmed detectives were probing an allegation of assault, and appealed for witnesses.

He said: "Police received reports from the ambulance service shortly before 8.30pm saying a woman from Midsummer Street had suffered a head injury.

"Attending the scene we had a report of an allegation of assault relating to a gang of teenagers causing nuisance in the area -- particularly Midsummer Street.

"The cut to the woman's head is believed to have been caused when one of them threw a stone over the fence of the property.

"No arrests have been made in respect of this matter and investigations are continuing."

Inspector Bruce said Mrs whiteside suffered a laceration of the temple and her injury was not 'life threatening.'

An ambulance spokesman confirmed Mrs Whiteside was taken to casualty with a head injury at 8.24pm on Thursday.