A grandmother who spent two days in hospital after a thug attacked and robbed her, spoke last night of her ordeal.

Josephine Fadden, aged 68, fought back against the hooded robber, but he was too strong and sent her crashing to the ground.

The incident happened as the pensioner walked home along St Helens Road in Daubhill, after a night out with friends.

She was shoved in the back by the thug who struck as she was near the Netto supermarket, at around 9.30pm on Sunday.

All her bag contained was make-up, keys and a £5 note.

Mrs Fadden said: “I didn’t notice him at all. He must have been following me. I just felt him grab hold of my bag from behind and I was trying to keep hold of it. I was struggling with him. It was just instinct. So then he shoved me in the back and I went on the floor.”

Mrs Fadden, a retired cleaner with eight grandchildren, was left bleeding on the pavement.

She managed to get up and went to a nearby bus stop where she sat down. A man, who was with a little girl, then came to her aid and called an ambulance.

Mrs Fadden, from Deane, spent two days at the Royal Bolton Hospital after her face and ribs were badly bruised in the attack.

“I will never forget it. I was in a lot of pain the next day. When it happened I was just in shock and I was scared. I was on my own so I couldn’t fight him,” said Mrs Fadden, who has been staying with her daughter since the attack.

“I can’t stop thinking about it. I can’t sleep. It’s always on my mind,” she said.

She has now had to change the locks on her home. Mrs Fadden will also have to go back to hospital in six weeks for further x-rays.

PC Craig Charnock, from Bolton CID’s Robbery Unit, said: “This was a cowardly attack on a vulnerable woman who was walking home alone.

“I would appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time or who think they know who carried out this robbery to get in touch with police and help us bring this man to justice.”

The robber was white, aged in his 30s, of medium build and was quite short — around 5ft 2ins tall. He had dark hair with a fringe and was wearing a grey jogging top with the hood up and black trousers.

Anybody with any information is asked to call the Robbery Unit on 0161 856 5609 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

pkeaveny@theboltonnews.co.uk

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