ROBBERS held a knife to a pensioner’s throat before ransacking her home and stealing jewellery.

The two raiders smashed a window by throwing a brick through a patio door before attacking the victim, a 65-year-old woman, upstairs at her home in Belcroft Drive, Little Hulton.

The two men, who were armed with knives, demanded she handed over gold, and one of the men pushed her into the front bedroom and held the knife to her throat.

He ripped a gold necklace from her neck and both men ransacked her bedroom, stealing more jewellery.

The necklace had been a gift from the victim’s niece who has since died.

Det Con Paul Davies said: “These two men broke into this woman’s house while she was alone upstairs.

“Imagine her horror when two men ran up her stairs armed with knives and held one up to her throat.

“We are appealing for anyone with information to come forward and speak to us.

"It was a very distressing and frightening experience for the victim who was in fear of her life.

“Thankfully she was not seriously injured, but has been left very shaken by her ordeal.

“The necklace itself is of great sentimental value as it was bought for the woman by her niece, and with the anniversary of her niece’s death approaching this is adding to an already distressing time.”

The incident happened between 11.45pm and 12pm on Monday.

One of the suspects was white, between 5ft 6in and 5ft 8in tall, thin, aged about 18, with short brown hair and a thin face.

He was wearing a light grey hooded zip-up top and light grey bottoms.

The second man was white, about 5ft tall, with a thin face and long brown eyelashes, aged about 16.

He was wearing a light grey hooded zip-up top and bottoms.

Anyone with information can call police on 0161 8565097 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.