A CALLOUS robber targeted elderly victims in their own homes, ripping panic alarms from around their necks when they tried to call for help.

At Bolton Crown Court, prolific criminal Derek Hardman was given an extended 10-year jail sentence after the Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Timothy Clayson told him: "You pose a very serious risk of causing serious harm to the public, particularly the elderly."

The court heard how 35-year-old Hardman got into the homes of two women and a man, all aged around 80, on two occasions, knocking them to the floor before stealing their possessions.

When the daughter of one victim arrived on the scene and tried to detain him, he punched her three times in the face.

David Lees, prosecuting, told how Hardman's first elderly victim was a 79-year-old woman who lived alone in a first floor flat in Sharples.

On the afternoon of April 3 she was expecting a visit from her daughter and so, when there was a knock on the door at 4pm, she went to answer it.

"She opened the door and was met by the defendant, who she didn't know," he said.

Hardman pushed his way into the flat and demanded: "Give me your money."

The pensioner shouted for help.

"He grabbed her from behind and put his hands over her mouth in and attempt to stop her talking," said Mr Lees.

"She, quite bravely, tried to struggle but he then threw her to the floor."

After he disconnected her phone he searched the flat and she agreed to give him the £15 contents of her purse.

"That's all I have, please leave," she told him.

After initially trying to also take her laptop he grabbed her mobile phone.

At that moment the pensioner's daughter arrived.

"She grabbed Mr Hardman and pinned him against the wall," said Mr Lees, who added that she managed to pull away a scarf which was partially covering his face.

During the struggle the daughter managed to tear off the lapel of Hardman's jacket which contained his DNA and led police to him.

Hardman punched the daughter three times in the face, knocking her glasses off and sending her sprawling on the floor before he made his escape.

In a victim statement the pensioner described how she had been terrified and is now nervous living in her own home.

"Her niece sent flowers and she was scared to open the door to the delivery driver," said Mr Lees.

On May 6, Hardman targeted a 78-year-old man as he slept in the bedroom of his sheltered flat at Brownlow Fold.

He woke at 4pm and saw Harman standing by the bed looking through his belongings.

When the pensioner reached for his alarm pendant Hardman yanked it from around his neck.

But the quick-thinking victim managed to get to the hallway and pushed an alarm button on the wall.

Realising what was happening, Harman tried to turn off the alarm before running off with the man's mobile phone, sunglasses and alarm pendant.

Police later identified Hardman from a fingerprint he left on the wall alarm.

The following day Hardman targeted an 81-year-old woman in her sheltered bungalow in Astley Bridge.

At 6pm she was watching television when she saw a man at the window and when she got up, he confronted her inside the house.

"Sit down, I am not going to hurt you," he told her.

Mr Lees said: "She screamed at him to get out and tried to fend him off using her walking stick.

"He took it off her and pushed her over.

The elderly woman landed on the floor and Hardman also ripped her alarm button from around her neck.

"I just want your money," said Hardman as he stepped over her to reach a cabinet and steal her purse, which contained bank cards and £70.

When he had gone the woman called the police and Hardman was arrested after he was identified on CCTV in the area.

Hardman, who appeared for sentencing via video link from Forest Bank prison, pleaded guilty to robbery, assault and burglary and he also admitted stealing his step-sister's £1,400 gold necklace a safe at his father's home in Brownlow Fold.

Mark Friend, defending, said Hardman has a long term addiction to class A drugs and had committed the offences to fund his habit.

"It is a rather depressing tale on any assessment," he said.

"If ever there was a cautionary tale about the perils of drug misuse it is this defendant's life."

Mr Friend added that the crimes were relatively unsophisticated and and no weapons were used.

"He left what was, in effect, a Hansel and Gretel trail of evidence back to his own front door.

"He is a man wrestling with drug addiction and failing. He recognises he has only himself to blame.

The court heard that Hardman, of Gilnow Gardens, Heaton, has previous convictions for burgling elderly people.

"You have an extremely serious record, including for targeting elderly people. You are, indeed, dangerous," Judge Clayson told Hardman.

He was sentence to an extended 10 year sentence for public protection, with an addition three years to be spent on licence.

Hardman will spend at least six and a half years behind bars before he is eligible to apply for parole.