A PENSIONER who hid like a terrified animal for 24 hours as thieves ransacked her home has been so traumatised by her ordeal that she cannot speak.

Detectives said 86-year-old widow Kathleen Roberts has not spoken a word since she was found huddled in the utility room of her Teesside home on Tuesday night.

They believe the grandmother and former midwife fled into the room after confronting thieves and may have been hiding there since the previous night.

Police and family are keeping a vigil at her hospital bed.

Scenes of crimes officers have carried out an examination of the house at Rudyard Avenue, in the Roseworth area of Stockton, for clues to the identity of the intruders.

But Detective Sergeant Guy Newnam, of Cleveland Police, said that until Mrs Roberts was able to communicate, the police were "to some extent working in the dark".

He said: "Something has happened that has terrified this lady and left her traumatised. She has not yet spoken, and it may be some time before she does. She was found in strange circumstances and the only person who can tell us what happened is her."

Mrs Roberts, who lived alone, was discovered by her nephew on Tuesday night after he became concerned when she failed to telephone him as planned.

Her nephew, Paul Connor, 46, said: "I went round and the front door was open. It looked as if the house had been ransacked.

"We searched but couldn't find her, but we couldn't get into the wash house at the back."

After contacting a neighbour, who had a key for the rear of the property, Mr Connor said they opened the utility room door and the first thing they saw was a leg.

He said: "She was lying on the floor covered in garden tools and shoes. She was conscious but she couldn't talk.

"She was just making noises. She just couldn't communicate."

The pensioner was taken to North Tees Hospital, Stockton, where she was found to have bruising to her body and was suffering from dehydration and possibly slight pneumonia.

Mrs Roberts has a daughter in Hull and a son living in Tasmania, both of whom were thought to be unaware of the incident yesterday.

A widow for 39 years, she has lived at the house for 60 years and, according to her nephew, has remained independent, cooking and cleaning for herself.

A devout catholic, Mrs Roberts attends Mass every day at the nearby St Peter and Paul Church, in Roseworth.

A neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: "She's a lovely lady. I've known her for 40 years and she always stops for a chat.

"She's so small and frail, it's terrible to think of her huddled up in that room just a few doors down and none of us knowing what had happened to her.

"I was only talking to her the day before. It's awful, it makes you want to lock yourself away."

Detectives are keen to speak to residents on the estate who may have seen someone acting suspiciously and are particularly keen to find out about doorstep callers, thought to have been working in the area over the previous few days.

Another neighbour confirmed that the estate had been targeted recently by bogus callers.

He said: "We opened the door to two men claiming to be salesmen just the other day.

"I don't have anything to do with them but it does make you suspicious, especially when something like this happens."

Anyone with information is asked to call Cleveland Police on (01642) 302226.