A pensioner who hit her head on the pavement when she was attacked by a mugger has agreed to photos of her injuries being released in a bid to catch her attacker.

The 70-year-old widow needed hospital treatment after suffering cuts and bruises to her face and head when she was dragged to the ground.

The grandmother was walking through a snicket off Littlefield Walk, Wibsey, Bradford, after visiting relatives, when she was grabbed from behind by a man who wrenched her handbag from her grasp.

She was pulled to the ground and banged her head as she tried to cling on to the bag, which contained £80, her mobile phone and credit cards.

Detectives condemned the attack - the fifth in Wibsey in recent weeks - as "cowardly".

The woman, who does not want to be named, said: "I never heard a sound. He just came up behind me and grabbed my bag. I struggled to hang on to it, and the next thing I knew I was flat on my face and he was gone with my bag.

"I couldn't believe it had happened to me during daylight.

"I am very angry that someone could do this and I am just grateful it happened to me and not someone who was older and frail, because they could have been killed.

"The police told me this was the fifth mugging in Wibsey in the last two or three weeks. I want to try and stop it happening to anybody else, which is why I gave permission for the police to release the photos of my injuries. I hope it might shock someone, who suspects who might be responsible, to come forward."

Detective Inspector Steve Hopwood, of Bradford South CID, urged witnesses, or anyone with information about the mugger, to contact them.

He said: "We want to catch whoever is responsible and bring them to justice. Quite clearly, this was a cowardly attack on a vulnerable woman going about her normal business.

"I would like to reassure the local community that we are exploring a number of lines of inquiry and we are confident we will find the person responsible, but we need the public's help to do so. This was a nasty attack and a shocking ordeal for the victim."

Det Insp Hopwood said extra police patrols were being put into the area and he urged anyone with information to contact Bradford South CID on 0845 6060606, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

The suspect is described as white, aged about 18, of medium build and 5ft 7 to 8ins. He was wearing a black hat with bobbles on strings on either side of his face and a dark tracksuit top with white stripes down the side.

e-mail: steve.wright@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

  • Start or join a debate on this issue in our online forum - Click here