DESPICABLE

Great-grandmother Ivy Fallon was brutally battered after waking to find the man leaning over her bed.

She was so badly beaten across the face, hands and arms that she passed out. Now she wants Daily Echo readers to help police catch the cowardly thug who repeatedly punched her as she screamed for help.

The pensioner spoke exclusively to the Daily Echo from her hospital bed about her terrifying ordeal.

She told how she "screamed like the devil" after waking up to find the intruder - described as stocky and aged about 40 - in the bedroom of her Southampton home.

Mrs Fallon said: "I woke up and he was leaning over me in bed. I said: 'What do you want?' and I started to scream and he said: 'You scream and I'll bash you.'

"I did scream though. I screamed like the devil. I passed out after that but I can remember him having his hands across me but that's all I can remember.

"All I saw was a round face and when he leaned over the bed I could see that he wasn't a tall man.

"After he had gone I must have come round and I hit the panic button in my flat to alert the warden.

"I want people to help catch him and I want to tell those who keep their doors open to be more careful because this is what can happen.

"If he is caught I want him to be strung up for what he did to me. He is a coward."

Twenty police officers are hunting the man who struck at Ivy's Shirley home in the early hours of Sunday.

Scenes-of-crimes officers have examined the flat while detectives have been making door-to-door inquiries and leafleting neighbouring residents in an appeal for information, as reported in later editions of yesterday's Daily Echo.

They are trying to find out how the intruder got past the intercom entry system that operates at the warden-controlled flats.

Mrs Fallon has lived her entire life in Southampton and has one son, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren who all live in the south.

She is recovering from her injuries at Southampton General Hospital. She suffered severe bruising to her face, hands and arms.

Ivy's 41-year-old grandson from Basingstoke, who asked not to be named, confirmed his grandmother would not be returning to her flat.

He said: "This is a despicable and cowardly attack on a defenceless woman of 91. How any man can do this is beyond belief. I would appeal to anyone out there who has any information to come forward. It may be your mother, sister or grandmother next. Please help us to catch this evil man."

Detective Inspector Dick Pearson is leading the hunt for the attacker.

He said: "The police are treating this cowardly and vicious attack very seriously. We will use all the resources we can to investigate and arrest the offender. Someone will be aware of whoever was responsible and we would ask them to come forward and speak to us. This can be in total confidence if necessary."

Police are urging anyone with any information to contact Det Insp Pearson at Southampton CID on 0845 045 4545.