A MUGGING victim is injured - but unbowed by her experience.

Ivy Cole, 80, had her arm broken when a teenager attacked her in Station Road, Eston, Middlesbrough.

The defiant pensioner described the youth who knocked her to the ground as "rubbish".

She said: "Most people are afraid to go out at night. Where I live a lot of people won't go out.

"I will be careful. I will wait until I see someone and go out with them. But nothing is going to beat me. I won't stay in - but I will be careful."

The robber ran off with her shopping bag containing her purse and an amount of cash on Thursday.

It was the latest in a string of street robberies targeting old people across Teesside, in the past week.

Mrs Cole's attack came within hours of the announcement by Cleveland Police of the setting up of special units to tackle street crime.

Dave Punshon, chief executive of Age Concern, Teesside, said: "I welcome the police initiative but would call on the rest of the community to actually back that initiative by reporting incidents. You don't have to get involved, but make a noise - shout 'Stop thief' and make a din.''

He urged families to help elderly relatives acquire effective personal alarms.

l Cleveland Police have arrested and charged a man with the mugging of a 65-year-old woman in Marton Burn Road, Middlesbrough, last week.