A PLUCKY great-grandmother suffered a broken shoulder after a young pedal cyclist mowed her down.
Winifred Molyneux is still taking pain killers following the accident in Newport Street, Bolton.
It came only seconds after Mrs Molyneux had left a morning Mass in St Patrick's church on Great Moor Street and headed for a town centre superstore.
The callous cyclist who sent the plucky pensioner sprawling has not been found after he rode away leaving the 84-year-old widow lying on the pavement in agony.
Now Mrs Molyneux, of Firwood Grove, Tonge Moor, says the cyclist's actions have robbed her of the independence she loved. Yesterday she said: "People should not be allowed to ride bikes on the pavement. It never happened years ago and it shouldn't now.
"Whoever did this is rotten, particularly just to leave me. I can't tell you what pain I was in. My face must have been all shapes because of the pain, it was terrible.
"All I remember is walking round the corner and the next thing someone just barged into my back and I started falling. It was as if it was all in slow motion."
Paramedics treated her and took her to the Royal Bolton Hospital where x-rays revealed the fall had broken her right shoulder.
It means that Mrs Molyneux has had to rely on a team of carers who have visited her home daily to wash and dress her. Prior to the hit and run she did all her own gardening, housework and decorating. Now she is worried that she will not be as independent as she once was.
She added: "Before this happened I didn't need anybody's help, I could look after myself. I just want whoever knocked me down to realise what they've done."
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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