An elderly woman has been robbed, pushed to the floor and left with horrible facial injuries by two young thugs who targeted her while walking home in the dark from a church service.

The 70-year-old was coming home from a conformation ceremony when she was attacked on Church Road in Old Malden.

Injuries from the incident on October 12 have left her with a cut above her eye, which had to be glued closed and still doesn’t open properly, bruised knees and hands. The vicious thugs pocketed around £35.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said: “They made a grab for my bag and grabbed my skirt waist band at the same time which split the skirt.

“They grabbed the bag and pushed me down to the ground. They must have hit me hard for me to have gone down with such force.

“I didn’t know how long I lay there but I got myself on my feet and as luck would have it a couple were coming in their car.

“They stopped and said ‘are you all right?’ I said ‘No I have just been mugged’.”

The man drove off to hunt down the two men while the woman took her back to their home nearby where they called the ambulance and police.

The robbers stole her handbag which had her glasses, address book of family members and her house keys.

The woman, who has lived safely in Old Malden for 35 years, was rushed to Kingston Hospital. She said: “I had severe cuts over the left eye so by the time I got to hospital the left side of my face was a mess.

“My hands have got bruising and my knees apart from being extremely shocked. The eye I think is quite serious because it closes every so often. My instant reaction was why should they do this?

“They were just opportunists and I was there and that was it. I would just like to get my hands on them and do the same to them.”

She described them as between 15 and 20 years old wearing grey and said they may have been Asian. She said: “They didn’t have hoods I must admit.”

She also praised the actions of police, including community support officer Linda Taylor, who dealt with her case and changed the locks on her home.

But she remained defiant and vowed to carry on with her charity work which includes Kingston Hospital’s Born Too Soon unit for premature babies.

“They are not going to get me down that is sure and certain,” she said. “I haven’t got time to be knocked about by these thugs.”

Her friend, Old Malden Councillor Mick Amson said: “I think it is disgusting. I have seen the photos and I was shocked. I didn’t think things like this could happen around here.

“They ought to be ashamed of themselves treating an elderly lady like that.”

Anyone with information about the robbery on Sunday, October 12, can call Kingston police on 0300 1231212 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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