A PENSIONER has told of her terrifying ordeal at the hands of a thug who attacked her in her home before stealing £20.

The 73-year-old was repeatedly punched in the face by the man, who grabbed her from behind as she stood on her doorstep after returning from a shopping trip.

Recovering from the attack yesterday, the frail victim said: "It was terrifying. I thought he was going to murder me."

The attack, which police described as "particularly nasty and cowardly", took place on Monday afternoon just after the woman had opened the door to her home in Westminster Road, York.

After warning her not to scream, the intruder tried to drag the woman upstairs, she believed in an effort to find jewellery in a bedroom. The victim's telephone then rang and, to her amazement, he let her answer it.

She said: "It was a woman who lives opposite. She asked if I was alright. I said, 'No, could you come over immediately?', and she knew something was wrong.

"He saw my purse lying on the floor and he grabbed it. He punched me in the face three times. It was terrible."

The man escaped with the purse, which contained £20 in cash, a bank card and a store card.

He was described as Afro-Caribbean, aged 25 to 30 and 5ft 10in to 6ft tall. He was wearing a navy baseball cap, red bomber jacket and light-coloured trousers.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact detectives in York, on (01904) 631321.

The attack occurred on the same day The Northern Echo revealed how thieves had tricked their way into the home of a 103-year-old Darlington woman, stealing £100 from her purse.

The plight of the unnamed centenarian moved people across the region, and yesterday an anonymous reader sent £5 to be forwarded to her.