AN 87-YEAR-OLD woman was recovering in hospital last night after being physically and sexually assaulted in her home by an intruder.
A police spokesman said the victim was alone in her bed in a groundfloor room when the attack happened overnight on Friday.
The woman of Woodstock Avenue, Grangetown, Sunderland. was taken to Sunderland Royal Infirmary suffering from severe shock and bruising.
She was last night recovering in the coronary care unit, where her condition was described as stable.
Police have set up an incident room and house-to-house inquiries were continuing last night as a forensic team studied the flat.
A police spokesman said at this stage there was no evidence of any burglary.
Detective Chief Inspector Steve Wade said: "This was a horrific attack on an elderly woman and it has left her in an extremely distressed condition.
"We need to find who did this and would urge anyone with information or who saw anything suspicious in the area on Friday night to come forward."
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