The frail pensioner who was struck dumb with fear after spending up to 24 hours cowering in an outhouse to escape intruders has died.

Kathleen Roberts, 86, had only just regained enough confidence to recount her ordeal to her nephew but sadly passed away in hospital yesterday morning.

She told her nephew that two boys came in her home and they 'hurt my head.'

Detectives had been on stand-by in the hospital in case she reveals and other details of the attack.

Mrs Roberts, a widow for 39 years, was found under a pile of garden tools and shoes in a utility room. She was bruised, dehydrated and showing signs of pneumonia.

Mrs Roberts, a widow for 39 years, was found under a pile of garden tools and shoes in a utility room. She was bruised, dehydrated and showing signs of pneumonia.

A postmortem is being carried out this afternoon to determine the cause of her death.

Police are continuing house to house enquiries near to her home in Stockton, Teesside in a bid to track the intruders down.

Mrs Roberts, a former midwife, lived at her home in Stockton for 60 years.

She attended her local Catholic church, St Peter's and Paul's at least once a day.

A police spokesman said: "We are ensuring that members of Mrs Robert's family, some of whom live abroad, are notified of her death, before we make any more comments on the case."