A ‘VERY poorly’ woman was ‘karate kicked’ outside her own front door by a laughing teenage attacker.

The 60-year-old woman, who has a serious illness, had just opened her front door, in Church Street, Church, to clear up chips which someone had thrown at her house the previous night when she was attacked.

In a ‘cruel and cowardly’ incident, the youth launched himself at the woman as she turned to go inside, slamming both his feet into her back and knocking her to the floor.

He then ran from the scene laughing and shouting obscenities at the grounded victim, who had just returned from hospital after an appointment.

She was left with bruising to her back from the force of the kick.

Police said that he was with a second youth, also aged around 13, who was not involved in the incident.

DI Claire Holbrook said it was not an attempt to get inside her house, and appeared to be a random attack.

She said: “To commit such a cruel and cowardly act on a lady outside her own home is beyond belief.

"I strongly urge the male who was with the offender to disown him, do the right thing and tell us who did this.”

The attacker, who struck at 7.30pm on Monday, is described as around 13 years old, white, 5ft 1in tall, of slim build, with short dark hair with a straight greased combed fringe.

He has several stud earrings in his left ear and speaks with a soft Irish accent.

At the time he was wearing a navy blue tracksuit, with a lighter coloured trim.

His tracksuit bottoms were tucked into white socks with dark trainers.

Contact Accrington CID on 0845 1 253545, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.