DETECTIVES are examining fresh leads in the hunt for a mugger whose attack on a grandmother led to her death.

Mary Porter, aged 80, was thrown to the ground by a cyclist who stole her handbag containing £30 worth of bingo winnings.

The incident happened on August 6 last year as she made her way home to Paderborn Court, Bolton, after getting off a bus in Moor Lane.

Last week, Mrs Porter’s family made an emotional appeal for help to find her attacker.

Now, as a result of the appeal, police are following up new clues in the hunt for the mugger.

A police spokesman said: “Since the appeal, the incident room has received four calls in relation to the attack. All these calls are now being followed up.”

Mrs Porter was taken to hospital after dislocating her shoulder, cracking nine ribs, suffering a collapsed lung and a cut to her head. She died on October 2.

A pathologist was unable to establish the cause of Mrs Porter’s death, but further tests have since established it was linked to the robbery.

Mrs Porter’s daughter, Shelagh Orrell, aged 46, of Farnworth, said: “She was a lively, kind person. She would never fall out with anybody or hurt anybody and would go out of her way to help people.”

Mrs Orrell said her mother, who worked as a Post Office clerk in Great Lever before her retirement, was very active and used to love catching the bus to meet friends in Walkden and Leigh to play bingo.

She said: “We miss her loads. It’s been really hard. She was always there for me. I am an only child and it was always just me and my mum. We were really close. I just have happy memories of her.”

Mrs Orrell said her mother, who also leaves a granddaughter, Shannon Orrell, aged 14, and grandson Josh Orrell, aged 19, had always been healthy and had rarely visited hospital, which made her final months of life even more painful.

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 5448 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.