An elderly man suffered a bleed to the brain and a stroke after he was repeatedly punched in the face and robbed in his Bolton home on Saturday.
The 87-year-old victim was woken at about 12.40am when he was startled by his bedroom light being turned on by the intruder, who had prised open the living room window on Longfield Road.
The robber then demanded money and punched the pensioner several times in the face before fleeing with a bank book, wallet and cheque book from the victim’s bedside cabinet.
The dazed victim was able to call police, who carried out an extensive search of the area using sniffer dogs, and the man was taken to hospital after suffering a stroke and a bleed to his brain.
Detective Inspector Denise Pye said: “This man was awoken, only to find an intruder standing over him making threats.
“Before he knew what was happening, he was savagely attacked.
“He is currently in a serious condition in hospital and is being treated for his injuries. Our thoughts are with him and we hope he makes a recovery.
“This was clearly a shocking crime and I’m sure people in this community will rightly be outraged at what has happened.
“That is why we are appealing to anyone living in this area who might have information about what happened to come forward.”
A 23-year-old man has now been arrested and is currently in police custody for questioning.
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, 0161 856 5599 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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