A DISABLED war veteran was brutally beaten-up in his flat by a girl thug -- as a man held a gun at his head.

John Berry, aged 79, was kicked and punched to the ground by the girl as a male accomplice, wielding a gun, ransacked the pensioner's home on the Thornbank estate, Deane.

The pair eventually fled empty handed leaving the former Second World War soldier with bruises and cuts to his head, arms and upper body. It was the second time Mr Berry has been robbed in 18 months.

Mr Berry, who fought in India and Burma, said he could not believe he was being attacked by a woman.

He added: "Nobody was like that years ago, never mind girls. She was more violent than the man. She just kept on hitting and kicking me.

"They are cowards and lunatics. When I was younger I could have taken them on. If I had it my way I'd put them up against a wall and shoot them."

Mr Berry was sitting in the living room of his one bedroom flat at around 7pm on Monday when he heard something being pushed through his letter box.

It was a parcel which was too big to pull through, so he looked out through the glass in his door and when he could not see anyone, unlocked it. The couple, who must have been hiding around the corner, then burst into the flat. The girl pushed Mr Berry to the floor and as he tried to stand-up she punched and kicked him until he nearly lost consciousness. The former soldier, who is disabled with severe leg ulcers, tried to fight back and managed to hit her.

Her accomplice, who scattered his belongings around the bedroom in a frantic search for cash, realised he was not going to find anything and the couple then fled.

Mr Berry, who was born in Great Lever and has lived in the town all his life, has not kept any money in his flat since he was robbed 18 months ago. He thinks the same couple may have been responsible.

The former British Aerospace worker said: "I fought for this country and people like them and it makes you so angry. They need to be caught before they kill somebody.

"I keep reading in the BEN about old people being beaten up and mugged and it's about time these people were caught by the police."

Detectives hunting the two attackers have condemned them as "cowards".

Det Con Rick Armstrong, who is spearheading the hunt for the pair, said: "This is a despicable attack on a vulnerable member of society."

He appealed for anyone who may have seen the pair or who knows anything about the attack to come forward.

"We do not have good descriptions of the two, only that the man wore a Balaclava and the woman had her collar up to obscure her face. They were both in their mid-20s and both wore dark clothing."

He added: "Mr Berry said the man had a revolver-type gun in his hand. We know that a few of the neighbours saw the couple and the man was carrying a gun. We would like to speak to anyone else who know about this incident."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Bolton CID on 0161 856 5640 or Crimestoppers on free phone 0800 555111.