AN 80-year-old woman is seriously ill in hospital after being attacked by a mugger only yards from her home.

Edith Kaye suffered a broken hip and arm in the attack but later developed a blood clot on her lung after surgery to treat her injuries. Today her family was keeping a vigil at her bedside as police chiefs hunted the thief.

Detectives described the incident as a "wicked attack on a vulnerable old lady" and urged witnesses to come forward.

The pensioner was walking along Penn Street, Horwich, when her attacker approached from behind.

He grabbed the pensioner's handbag and during a brief struggle, she was pushed to the ground.

Mrs Kaye was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital where she has undergone surgery on her broken hip.

The frail widow, who is only 5ft 2ins, has developed complications after surgery and is now being treated for a blood clot on her lung.

Her niece Susan Parkinson, aged 52, said her family have been keeping a vigil by her bedside.

She said: "She is very poorly. I went to see her on Sunday night and she was heavily sedated.

"As well as the trauma of being attacked, she has had to undergo the trauma of major surgery at her age.

"All the family are devastated.

"You hear about these kind of things happening all the time but you never expect it will happen to your own family."

She added: "The mugger just grabbed hold of her. It was a natural instinct for her to try to keep hold of her bag."

Mrs Parkinson, who lives in Darwen, said the pensioner was aware of the dangers and a member of her family always took Mrs Kaye to get her pension.

"She had picked up her pension that morning and wad dropped off at home. But she decided to just nip to the shops nearby and took her handbag with her."

Det Sgt Ray Sherlock of Astley Bridge CID said: "This is a wicked attack on a vulnerable old lady.

"It is appalling. I am disgusted that something like this has happened.

"As a result of the attack, she has suffered serious injuries."

The mugger is described as white, between 5ft 6ins and 5ft 10ins, with mousey brown hair and was wearing a dark jacket.

Anyone with information about the incident last Thursday at 3pm is asked to call Astley Bridge CID on 0161 856 5740 or Crimestoppers on free phone 0800 555 111.