Mobility scooter thieves attack woman at her home

Ida Brown suffered facial bruising and a knee injury in the attack

A 79-year-old woman suffered "horrific bruising" when she was attacked outside her home by two men who were attempting to steal her mobility scooter.

Ida Brown was pushed against a wall at her house in Dunston, Tyneside, when she went out to investigate a noise at the back door at 05:30 GMT on Sunday.

She was left badly with an injured knee and a badly bruised face.

Northumbria Police described it as an "abhorrent attack" on a vulnerable pensioner and appealed for information.

'Good guard cat'

Mrs Brown said: "They didn't manage to steal my scooter but I can just remember them running away and shouting 'we'll be back'.

"I have leukaemia and just had a pace maker fitted in my heart before all this happened so I do need my mobility scooter to get me around.

"My knee is really painful and I couldn't open my eye for a few days afterwards."

Police say "the wider community will share our anger" over the attack

She had been woken by her cat - named Henry VIII because of his size - who was disturbed by the noise outside.

She praised him as a "good guard cat", but added: "It is scary knowing that they could come back."

Inspector Alan Davison, from Northumbria Police, said: "The mobility scooter would clearly belong to someone with a vulnerability and I find it appalling that anyone would try to take it away from someone in need.

"To then shove an elderly woman into a wall, and cause the level of injury that they have done, is beyond comprehension and I know the wider community will share our anger."