Doorstep mugging: 84-year-old reveals physical injuries and worry after attack in Preston

The man – who asked not to be named – said he was punched in the ribs and had a gold crucifix ripped from his neck by two men who knocked on his door in Walker Street at 9pm on Friday (January 6).

After spending the weekend in hospital, he was released home yesterday, where his neighbours are keeping a close watch, and demanding more street lights and police patrols.

The man said: “I’ve got broken ribs from where I was punched, and there’s nothing the doctors can do about that, they have to heal on their own.

"I’m in quite a bit of pain with that, and my hands are all bruised.

He says he is “shook up” by the event, but claims it won’t stop him going about his usual business.

A neighbour said: “He is upset – we all are – and now we’re making sure that wherever he goes, he gets home safely. If he goes to the pub, the staff know to give one of us a ring and we’ll walk him back.

"It’s a good community and we like it here, we stick together. But there needs to be more lighting and more police patrols.

“It’s a cut-through from Lancaster Road to Walker Street and there’s one working street light and plenty of places to hide.”

The woman said that in the past decade there have been several incidents requiring police attention, including an attack in a ginnel, a pram set on fire under a flat, knives found in undergrowth, and people have moved bins so that nobody can hide behind them.

"Terrifying”

Another neighbour said the attack was “digsuting and terrifying” and has left her frightened to leave the house after dark.

She said: “There’s always people hanging about on the corner where it happened, doing drugs.

"It’s a worry, especially for old people.

"We want to see more police – we’re not that far from the police station.”

Another near neighbour of the man who was attacked, said: “It’s a brilliant community, but there’s not enough being done to improve the area. It’s a dumping ground, the land that time forgot.

"It’s a cut-through for shoplifters and there’s flats meant for the elderly that are being used for druggies and alcoholics.”

Police

No arrests have been made but enquiries are ongoing.

A police spokesman said: “We attended and found a man aged in his 80s had been at home when two men had knocked on his front door.

"When he answered they had grabbed a chain from around his neck, causing him to fall over. They then made off.

“Thankfully he suffered relatively minor injuries.

“No arrests have been made but enquiries are very much ongoing.

“We are now appealing for information about this incident and are asking anyone who can help to call 101 or report what they know online at doitonline.lancashire.police.uk, quoting log 1260 of January 6.”