DETECTIVES have embarked on a poster campaign in a bid track down a burglar wanted in connection with the death of a Bolton pensioner.

Officers are posting leaflets through the doors of homes in the Daubhill area and distributing posters in an effort to trace witnesses who may have seen the wanted man. Murder squad officers believe the thief will have been spotted by neighbours either before or after he attacked 88-year-old widow Phyllis Mayoh.

Officers have also urged local criminals -- who they are convinced will know who the wanted man is -- to contact them.

Mrs Mayoh was attacked in the kitchen of her Rosamund Street home when she was confronted by the intruder on Sunday April 13.

The frail pensioner, who was only 4ft 10ins tall and weighed just six stone, was pushed to the floor -- breaking her hip -- by the thief who then picked and dragged her through to the living room. The thief stole stole purse which contained £30. Mrs Mayoh, who managed to pull the Careline emergency alarm, died in hospital four days later following an operation to repair her hip. She never regained consciousness after surgery.

Det Chief Insp Andy Durkin, the man leading the inquiry, said he believes the man they are hunting is an "opportunist thief".

He said: "I think Mrs Mayoh may have been attacked by an opportunist burglar who walked past her home late in the afternoon.

"People in the area will have seen this man in the street beforehand or afterwards as he fled."

Mrs Mayoh was interviewed by police in hospital before her operation and managed to give detectives a description of her attacker who struck at 5.30pm.

He is 17-18, slim, 6ft tall with neatly cut mousey hair wearing a dark jacket and denim jeans.

Anyone who can help police is asked to contact the police hotline number 0161 856 5153 or Crimestoppers on the freephone number 0800 555 111.