Artist's impressionTHIS is the man who carried out a terrifying attack on a 60-year-old woman. Although his face in this artist's impression is covered, officers think people will still be able to recognise him.

The attacker punched her in the face twice as he tried to steal her handbag. But she fought back and he ran off.

AN extremely violent man, who punched a grandmother in the face as he tried to steal her handbag, is now being actively sought by police.

The 60-year-old woman fought the attacker off by biting his arm and hitting him with a bag of crockery.

The attack was one of two muggings in two days in which elderly women were targeted. The police have now issued the picture of the man wanted after Saturday's attack on the pensioner from Eldene.

Inspector Zbig Wozniczko, of Swindon Police, said: "Despite her ordeal the 60-year-old grandmother has been able to give us

a very good description of her assailant and has helped us to produce an artist's impression.

"We believe that he is a local man and hope that his

despicable actions will prey on someone's conscience. If you recognise him then please report him to us.

"If you are not sure of the identity but only have an idea then please let us

check out your suspicions.

"We appreciate that the lower half of the man's face is covered by a scarf but we hope that someone may still be able to identify him."

The woman was punched twice in the face and pushed against a garden fence by the man at 2.45pm on Saturday while walking along the cycle path, which runs from Eldene

Drive to the bridge leading to Christie Close, Liden.

She managed to hang on to her bag after biting the man's left arm and hitting him over the head with a bag of crockery she was taking to a friend's house.

The man is described as white, 5ft7ins tall, with long scruffy ginger hair, unkempt appearance, wearing a black hooded top and a yellow and brown scarf.

In a separate incident, a 68-year-old woman was left shaken after being pushed over as a man tried to take her handbag.

She was walking along Shrivenham Road towards Stratton Road when he grabbed at her handbag.

She struggled to keep hold of it but the man pushed her to the ground and forced her to release her grip.

The woman was not hurt but was distressed and shaken by her ordeal.

The attacker, who struck at 1.30pm on Sunday, is male, white, about 5ft7ins tall, slim build, in his early 20s with a clear complexion, wearing a baseball cap, dark coloured jacket, jeans and trainers. He was accompanied by another white man.

Isabel Field