At the grand age of 100, Mary Alice Horsman wants nothing more than to spend her days quietly at the home she shares with her 106-year-old sister Annie.

The two centenarians spent long, hard years working in the Rochdale's cotton mills before they retired in the 1960s.

Now they just want to be left in peace - watching television and listening to the chirping of Billie, their pet budgie.

But they have been left terrified after a gang of con artists raided their bungalow, told them their water was poisoned and stole their savings.

And it is not the first time they have been victim to callous thugs. Their besieged bungalow has already been targeted on three other occasions.

Mary Alice, whose forehead was left cut and bruised when she fell to the floor after the gang barged into their home, said: "We don't need any of this. It's just disgusting."

Annie and Mary Alice never married and are the last of 10 brothers and sisters. They came from a close family and have lived and worked together most of their lives.

Dancing

They used to enjoy dancing in their younger days, but now they like spending time together at home, trying to stay as independent as they can.

Mary Alice suffers from the bowel condition Crohn's disease and Annie has mobility problems.

But they are often the target of thieves and yobs, and had to have bars put on their bedroom window after a burglar climbed and stole their savings three years ago.

Louts put a firework through their letter box last November, leaving the sisters believing they had been bombed as smoke filled their hallway.

And, just before Christmas, they were helpless as a yob climbed on a wheelie bin and stripped the lead from their living room window.

Mary Alice answered the door when the conmen called on Thursday, believing her niece had brought her an Annie some lunch.

Instead she was confronted by two men and a woman, saying they needed to check the bungalow's `poisoned' water.

One of the men went into the kitchen and began testing the water. The sisters then saw one of the gang stealing their in pension money.

Mary Alice tumbled to the floor as she tried to stop the gang leaving, but later refused hospital treatment for the cuts and bruises on her head.

The sisters' niece Margaret Wild said: "It's not the first time that Mary Alice and Annie have been targeted. This is the latest in a long line of attacks.

"The people who do this sort of thing are despicable. "They wouldn't like it if someone did this to their elderly auntie.

"I want my aunties to be safe at home, but this is just terrible for them."

Police have launched an investigation and are urging witnesses to step forward.

All three of the raiders were Asian. One man was 5ft 8in and in his 30s. He wore navy blue clothing. His male accomplice, about 30, spoke with an Indian accent. The woman had a large build.

Anyone with information should call the police on 0161 856 4646.