A DISABLED Wolverley woman, pulled out of her wheelchair and trodden on by a thief, is still recovering from the attack that happened within months of thugs targeting her cats.

Pat Baker, of Hayes Road, was thrown out of her wheelchair after she challenged a woman who came to the door of her sheltered housing accommodation, claiming to be a warden.

The 34-year-old, who did not believe her, argued with the woman, who pulled her on to the floor by the arm and trod on her stomach before escaping with a Reflex watch and gold-coloured ring.

The mother-of-one, who described the experience as "terrifying", managed to call the police from the mobile phone in her pocket and was treated for bruising by paramedics.

She has, however, been too scared to answer the telephone or the front door and suffered nightmares since the attack, at around 2.15pm last Friday.

Mrs Baker said: "I had been crocheting a blanket and was running out of wool so I'd asked my husband, Trevor, to nip out and bring me back some more. He'd been gone literally minutes when the woman turned up. I knew she wasn't a warden straight away, as she had no identification and the warden had already been round earlier that day.

"She argued, saying she was the warden and then started demanding money and pushed my chair into the wall. I was absolutely terrified. She grabbed my right arm and threw me out of the chair. I tried holding on to the wheels but she was so strong it was unreal.

"She then stood on my stomach and the pain was dreadful. I don't remember what happened after that - whether it was the pain I don't know - but, when I came round, the front door was closed."

Mrs Baker suffered a spinal injury in a car accident in 2000. She has an 11-year-old daughter, Dana, who was at school at the time of the incident.

It was the second incident in the past six months affecting the Wolverley resident, who lived in fear of her cats' lives after they were targeted by thugs, who she claimed, had kicked, poisoned and almost choked them.

Mrs Baker said on one occasion, her cat, Sophie, had entered the house choking. Someone had refastened her collar as tightly as possible. Another one of her cats, Pebbles, had to be taken to the vets after being kicked in the head and side.

She said: "I've not been eating or sleeping properly since this most recent incident and find it sad some people get a kick out of making other people's lives such a misery.

"These people should think how they'd feel if it were one of their relatives. I just want to live my life in peace."

The offender was described as white, aged about 30, with brown mid-length hair. She was around 5ft 3ins tall and wearing a dark-coloured raincoat or padded jacket.

Det Con Simon Lammas said: "It is very concerning that a disabled woman was attacked in her own home in this way."

Anyone with information is urged to call the police on 08457 444888 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

l Hayes Road, Wolverley has been hit by a spate of burglaries over the past two weeks.

Elderly victims had been sleeping as large amounts of money were stolen in two thefts overnight between Wednesday and Thursday last week.

Another burglary had taken place between Monday, March 6 and last Thursday, while a house was unoccupied at the time, although nothing was stolen.

Police believe the incidents could be linked to the attack on Mrs Baker.