AN ELDERLY lady no longer feels safe in her own home after a violent burglary during which she suffered injuries.

Josie Newman, 91, hurt her hand and leg when she was pushed out of her chair by a man who broke in while she was in the living room watching TV in her Malmesbury home.

Despite her putting up a fight, the burglar stole her purse which contained hundreds of pounds in cash and jewellery with sentimental value, including a locket containing a picture of her parents.

Mrs Newman managed to trigger a personal alarm during the struggle, causing the burglar to flee and he has so far evaded Wiltshire Police.

The widow, who has lived in her house in the town for 26 years, said she now doesn’t feel safe alone there.

“I can’t sit in this chair when I’m all shut in because I feel like that door might open again,” she told the Standard.

Mrs Newman said she is constantly on edge and frightened by any noise she hears, adding: “We do get callers down here and only a couple of weeks ago we had people coming and selling door to door."

Mrs Newman said there used to be more neighbourhood watches in the area and is asking anyone with vulnerable neighbours to be more vigilant.

Although Mrs Newman has been helped by friends since the burglary on December 15, she has no children and no transport of her own and so is usually confined to her house.

She said that since the nearby Burnham House shut down her street has been noticeably darker in the evenings, adding: "There always used to be night staff and lights."

Much of what was stolen was jewellery with great sentimental value.

This included two distinctive gold rings, one which had four rubies across the top and another which had four or five diagonal rows of small diamonds, and the locket which contained a photo of her parents.

Mrs Newman said there had been a wonderful response from the community since her ordeal on December 15.

This  included an invite to a Christmas meal organised by local charity the disadvantaged, HEALS Malmesbury, and an anonymous donor giving her £200 – the same amount as was stolen from her purse by the burglar.

Mrs Newman said: “I wrote a letter to say thank you but I can’t thank them personally as I don’t know them. There are some kind people about aren’t there?”

Anyone with information about the burglary or who has seen the stolen jewellery is asked to contact Detective Constable Rich Jones at Wiltshire Police via 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be left anonymously.