AN 85-YEAR-OLD woman was left black and blue after a mugger stole her handbag after failing to wrench a diamond ring from her finger as she walked home from the supermarket in Wilmslow.

The "cowardly" attack close to her home in broad daylight has raised fears of a spate of similar muggings in the area and police have warned the elderly may be seen as 'easy targets.' It was the fifth bag snatching incident across the police division within a week.

The frail pensioner, who was on her way home from the supermarket, was attacked with such force that her dentures smashed in half and shot out of her mouth.

The vicious attack happened outside ex-pop star Kerry Katona's house.

Mum-of-four, Kerry, 28, and her husband Mark Croft, helped hunt for the woman's false teeth in the bushes nearby.

The victim was walking along the junction of Carwood Road and Broadwalk, in Wilmslow, at around 5pm on Saturday, August 23, when the mugger jumped out of a black car, punched her to the ground and tried to prise a diamond ring from her finger.

He then ripped her handbag off her shoulder before driving off.

As well as shattered dentures the victim was also left with extensive cuts and bruises across her face.

The police and ambulance was called and the woman was taken to Macclesfield District General Hospital where she received treatmentfor her injuries.

A man who helped the pensioner at the scene, but wanted to remain anonymous, said she was walking home after shopping at Sainsbury's on Alderley Road.

He said: "The woman was carrying her shopping home when a black car pulled up and a male jumped out and punched her to the ground.

"He attempted to rip a diamond ring from her finger and when that wasn't successful he grabbed her bag off her shoulder and drove off."

He added: "The police and ambulance were called and she was taken to Macclesfield Hospital with facial injuries and broken dentures.

"He must have really hit her with some force to break her teeth.

"It is shocking that this was carried out in broad daylight and you wouldn't expect it to happen at that part of town and to someone so frail and elderly."

Police looking at CCTV footage from the area in the hope of tracing the attacker.

PC Andrew Street, from Wilmslow NPU, said: "This was a cowardly act against a vulnerable member of society who it seems has been targeted because of her frailty and age. We're doing all we can to find this offender to bring him to justice."

Another pensioner had her bag snatched in the Tesco car park at Handforth Dean on Sunday, August 16 at 4.30pm.

Police are linking it to two other muggings of elderly women on London Road South, in Poynton, also on Sunday, August 16 at 1pm and one at Tesco in Macclesfield on Friday, August 14 at 5pm.

Two males have been arrested following fifth mugging on Water Lane, in Wilmslow, on Monday night (August 24).

A woman had her handbag stolen at around 6.30pm.

Witnesses or anyone with information about the attack on Carwood Road or any of the other muggings should contact Wilmslow Police on 0845 458 0000 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.