THE barbaric rape of a 65-year-old widow is one of the worst crimes we have ever had to report.

Even hardened police officers - who have seen the most sickening sides of life - have been shocked by the sheer brutality of the crime.

What should have been just another cosy night in front of the TV, safely tucked up at home, ended in unimaginable horror for this poor lady.

She was threatened, beaten and then brutally raped by the pair who then ransacked the house, stealing cash and credit cards..

How will she ever get over such a degrading ordeal at the hands of those brutes who burst into her home?

We know that police are pulling out all the stops to track down those animals who carried out the attack and officers want all the information they can.

So no matter how insignificant you may think your information is - pass it on to the incident hotline: 01642 303189

And we sincerely hope that the criminal underworld will also play their part by helping police catch these men and put them behind bars where they belong.