GREAT grandmother Agnes Marshall is the latest victim of a gang who rob old ladies to feed their drug addiction.

The 76-year-old, a former lollipop lady from Salford, was injured when a burly thug dragged her to the ground as he tried to grab her handbag.

She suffered a dislocated shoulder, three dislocated fingers, a broken wrist, a cracked bone in her right arm and needed four stitches to a head wound.

In the last three weeks a dozen elderly women, all in their seventies and eighties, have been victims of similar robberies.

Nine have happened in Salford, with others in Radcliffe. Police are worried about the attacks. Detective Inspector Bob Kelly said: "The level of violence used is causing us great concern and we fear we could soon have a fatality.

"I regard the culprits as parasites and hope that members of the criminal fraternity will be repulsed and help us with information."

He added that the crimes were "typical of the offending pattern of people that depend on regular money to feed drug habits."

Detectives believe the culprits could have a Middleton connection and police in three different divisions are working to catch them.

Agnes was attacked in Rigby Walk, Higher Broughton, on Saturday afternoon. She said: "I was walking back home from Kwik Save. This lad grabbed my arm and had his hands on my bag. He pulled me through a gate and then twisted the bag.

Injured

"I fell on the concrete. I was screaming for help, on the ground with my face bleeding and head split open."

Agnes, a widow who has 11 great grandchildren and five grandchildren, worked as a lollipop lady until she was 67. The thug stole £97 and a silver rosary. Some of the cash was a gift for her great granddaughter Victoria, who was celebrating her 12th birthday. The robber escaped in a stolen car driven by an accomplice.

Police believe they stole the blue Escort from a car park in Old Hall Road, Middleton, earlier on Saturday.

At 12.50pm they robbed a woman in her seventies as she walked in Victoria Street, Radcliffe. She was dragged along the ground before her handbag was snatched.

Two hours later they attacked Agnes and abandoned the car in Bristol Street, Higher Broughton.

In another incident in East Drive, Pendlebury, on Monday, an 86-year-old woman was attacked and suffered a dislocated shoulder. The offenders escaped in a white, old-style Vauxhall Astra.

Anyone with information should phone the police on 0161-856-5040 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555111.