A 75-year-old woman whose jaw was broken in two places in an attack, says that she is now too scared to leave her house.

Patricia Beckford was punched repeatedly in the head and knocked off her mobility scooter at the junction of Plashet Grove and Grangewood Street, East Ham.

She had been shopping in Green Street and was on her way home when a hooded man came up from behind her and began hitting her.

“It was a vicious, vicious attack,” said Patricia, who also suffered a fractured eye socket and extensive bruising. “I was driving around on my mobility buggy and he walked past me and came back on me before just punching me again and again. I won’t be going out and I will not even answer the door. I have to go away from Newham, I want to get away.”

Witnesses describe the attacker as aged 16 to 20, 5ft 2in, mixed race or black, and slim.

He was wearing a grey hoodie and is believed to have fled down Park Road after the incident at about 11.30am on May 16

Patricia’s daughter, Jacqui Drain, 50, said: “How could somebody do this to an old woman? He came up from behind and punched the living daylights out of her.”

Det Con Mark Conner said: “This lady was just going along innocently in her mobility scooter and was set upon by this young male for no reason.

“We can’t gauge what was going on in his mind but he may be suffering from mental health issues for him to set upon an elderly lady. She was not robbed and did not have any property taken.”

He added that police are treating the matter as an isolated incident and residents should not be alarmed.

Anyone with information should call 101 or contact Det Con Conner on 020 8217 5855.