Shopkeepers in Old Town have started an appeal for an 81-year-old mugging victim who was punched to the floor minutes after collecting her pension.

Workman's grocery store and Wear It Well second hand clothes shop are hoping to raise enough money to refund the £500 cash stolen from the woman, named only as Daisy, in the attack last Thursday morning.

The pensioner from Old Town whom the Adver has chosen not to name was badly shaken by the ordeal.

But she is said to be more upset that nearly £400 of the cash was the pension and heating allowance she had collected for her 93-year-old neighbour, who is blind, housebound and has no nearby family.

She had visited Workman's in Prospect Place on her way to the Victoria Road Post Office and was returning home along Prospect Hill when she was attacked from behind as she passed the junction with South Street.

A youth described as white, skinny and young looking punched the woman, knocked her to the floor and grabbed her handbag before fleeing down South Street.

The pensioner was found lying in the street with a swollen and grazed ankle and was taken by a good Samaritan to nearby Wear It Well, where owner Connie Croker took her under her wing.

She said: "My friend picked her up and brought her to me and I've never seen someone shivering so much.

"I was shocked and appalled that anyone could do such a thing to one of the sweetest ladies I know.

"She has osteoporosis and walks all bent over. If I caught the person who did it, I'd stick pins in him."

Connie called the police, her GP and the building society to cancel the woman's credit cards.

The woman, who lives alone after her husband died last year, is now being looked after by her daughter, who has come from Devon.

Connie promised to join in the appeal for the pensioner which was started by staff at Workman's on Friday.

Geoff Workman, owner of the grocers, said his staff suggested raising cash for the victim, who has been a regular customer of his shop since it opened 55 years ago.

A poster has been put up in the shop and customers will be encouraged to dig deep for the cause.

"I couldn't believe anyone could do that to such a frail and lovely old lady," he said. "How can people stoop so low?

"She was in a terrible state at the time, but she's over the moon at what we're trying to do for her."

He added that one of his staff believes they saw a youth watching the woman when she was in the shop before the attack. The staff member has given a description of that person to the police.