Detectives are investigating possible links between four horrifying attacks on Sheffield pensioners in their own homes in the space of less than three weeks.

Each time, an armed thug stormed into the homes of elderly people and demanded cash from his terrified victims.

Today detectives revealed they were "reviewing all recent cases" and had "committed considerable resources" to the investigation.

In the latest robbery, a thug burst into the Shiregreen home of 93-year-old Mary Crofts wielding a hammer. He grabbed her around the face and throat while demanding cash.

The terrified grandmother-of-two, of Kinnaird Road, said she feared for her life and wants the man caught.

Mary - who survived the Blitz in World War II when here home was bombed - is now recovering in hospital with bruising to her face and neck, a cut to her leg and a heart attack brought on by the ordeal.

"I am traumatised. I thought he was going to kill me," she said.

"You are a peaceful citizen all your life and then this happens to you. It's not very nice at my age."

Hear brave Mary talk about the terrifying attack, and how she still manages to share a joke, despite her ordeal. Click on the green icon above for crime reporter Claire Lewis' interview in full.

Mary's outraged son Dennis, 56, from Ecclesfield, branded the robber "scum" and said he needs to be caught before he strikes again.

"I am devastated this has happened. How the hell can someone do this to a 93-year-old?" he said. "He should be caught straight away, locked up and they should throw away the key.

"If it is one guy he has to be caught. If he's targeting people that age the quicker he is caught the better it is for society."

Five days before the attack on Mary an old couple in neighbouring Firth Park were threatened with a screwdriver by a burglar also demanding cash.

Four days before, a 70-year-old woman was confronted by a thug who had smashed through her back door in Woodhouse.

And a week earlier, another 93-year-old woman was helpless to stop a burglar who ransacked her home in Norfolk Park and stole her bag.

Detective Chief Inspector Clive Wain described the latest attack as "shocking and sickening".

He said: "We are outraged and already have some good lines of inquiry. We want to catch the individual as quickly as possible.

"We are treating this extremely seriously - it is disturbing someone so frail, vulnerable and defenceless has had to endure this."

Det Chf Insp Wain said detectives were looking at all recent cases but were concentrating on looking for similarities with the Firth Park raid nearby.

He stressed robberies in Sheffield are down 37.2 per cent on last year, and house burglaries down 16.4 per cent.Witnesses or anyone with information should call DC Sam Blakemore or DS Shaf Rehman at the Ecclesfield Robbery Unit, on 0114 296 4605 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


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Horrific ordeal for OAP victim, click here for more on this story.
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