BATTERED GRAN: '˜Thug who hit me needs help'

78 year old Joyce Holden after she was punched in the face in the street

Joyce Holden, 78, was left with serious bruising to her face and an injury to her foot following the sickening broad daylight assault in Layton on Tuesday.

The pensioner, a mother of three and grandmother of two, was walking down Percy Street when she was approached from behind by a man who smashed her in the face before walking away from the scene.

Joyce and her family were left baffled by the attack, with no idea why the man lashed out at her. Now she is desperate to see the culprit caught – for his own sake and to stop this happening again.

She told The Gazette: “I was just walking with my shopping when it happened.

“He barged right into me and hit me right in the face, right in my eye.

“He’s then just carried on walking down the street.

“He came flying up from behind me and it just felt like ‘bang’, I dropped straight to the ground – the next thing I know he’s gone.

“I don’t understand, he’s not tried to rob me, he’s just hit me. This man needs to be caught. He might do it again or he might be someone who really needs help.

“He needs to be caught for his own good.”

Former shopkeeper Joyce was taken to accident and emergency following the incident. X-Rays showed her foot and ankle were not broken.

However she has extensive bruising to her face as a result of the attack.

Joyce said: “It could have been worse, I know that. I’ve lived here a long time and I’ve never known anything like this.”

Joyce’s daughter Katrina Holden, 35, from Palatine Road, Cleveleys, can’t believe what happened.

She said: “Mum was just going about her business and somebody has done this to her.

“The bruising looks terrible. Mum said he looked very angry.

“Why would anyone do this? This person might really need some help, he might be a very disturbed individual.

“We don’t want this to happen again.”

The attacker is described as a white man in his 20s. He was wearing a blue jacket.

Lancashire Police confirmed officers has been called to an address in Layton following an assault on a 78-year-old woman at 3.25pm on Tuesday. No arrests have been made.

A spokesman said: “We would ask anyone with information on this incident to come forward and help us with our enquiries.”

Anyone who might have information on the attack should call 101 quoting reference LC20161116-0845.