A WOMAN found with serious head injuries in a Leigh street was still fighting for her life in hospital today.

Spinster Ellen Bootle, aged 92, of Endsleigh Gardens, Leigh, was found on Bond Street in the town centre at 11.20am last Thursday.

Miss Bootle collapsed only a short distance from the post office on Bond Street where she had collected her pension just six minutes earlier.

Today she was said to be "still poorly but stable" in Royal Preston Hospital, where she is also being treated for a broken leg and a broken arm. A spokesman said she had shown "very minor" signs of improvement since her admission and was due to undergo further tests this morning.

Police are treating the incident as suspicious and it is thought that Miss Bootle could have been the victim of a mugging.

She was discovered without either her shopping bag or purse, even though she had just collected pension cash.

Police think Miss Bootle would have had both of them with her when she went to collect her money. Relatives have given police descriptions of the purse and shopping bag.

A photograph showing likenesses of them has been issued.

The nylon shopping bag is charcoal grey with two handles and two front pockets, one of which contained the purse.

The purse had another smaller one inside.

Det Ch Insp Mike Whiting today renewed his appeal for witnesses. He said: "I would like to speak to anyone who may have been on Bond Street between the post office and where she was found between 11am and 11.30am last Thursday.

"I have been given descriptions of people who were in the area at the time. I need them to come forward to eliminate them from my enquiries."

Anyone with information should contact DCI Whiting on 0161 856 7242.

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