Woman, 82, attacked and robbed for pension book

4:13pm Wednesday 20th August 2008

An 85-year-old Rochdale woman was left with serious head injuries after a robber assaulted her for her pension book.

The victim was returning home from the post office when she was approached by a man as she entered an alleyway off nearby Greenbank Road, Rochdale.

The offender pushed her to the ground and punched her in the face. He then stole her pension book, a quantity of cash and housekeys.

She suffered injuries to the head, a broken wrist and leg and was taken to Rochdale Infirmary for treatment. She is currently in a stable condition.

The offender is described as about 5ft 8in tall, with fair hair and wearing jeans and a khaki-coloured jacket.

Inspector James Troisi of Rochdale North neighbourhood policing team said: "This was a shocking attack on a vulnerable old woman who was walking home from the post office.

"We believe he targeted his victim, following her from the post office to the alleyway.

"To attack a defenceless pensioner like this is pathetic, however, this man is clearly dangerous and needs to be caught.

"I must stress that this type of incident is extremely rare in this part of Rochdale and I want to reassure residents, particularly elderly people, that we have a dedicated team of officers working on this.

"I want to appeal to anyone who may have witnessed the attack, or who may have seen someone acting suspiciously between the Hamer Post Office and the alleyway to come forward."

Anyone with information can call Rochdale volume crime team on 0161 856 8635, Rochdale North neighbourhood policing team on 0161 856 9953 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.