Cleveland Police say the attack happened close to the home of the 61-year-old woman, who lives in Middlesbrough with her blind son.

Margaret Kent suffered a fractured cheekbone and bloodied nose after being hit on the head and face on Tuesday morning.

It is the second attack on a disabled person in the town after a deaf-blind man was shot in the stomach by a youth with an air rifle in June.

Only scum would do this and I would hope that anyone who knows anything about it will get in touch with the police

Relative of Margaret Kent

In this attack the attacker fled with Mrs Kent's bag, which had a small amount of cash and her hearing aid.

She was taken to hospital and treated for her facial injuries before being released.

Detective Sergeant Gary Fernandes, of Cleveland Police, said: "She is clearly very disturbed and emotional about what happened.

Victim 'isolated'

"Mrs Kent has hearing difficulties and although the attacker could not have known it, her hearing aid was in her bag.

"The impact on her is significant as it isolates her even more."

A family member said: "She spends her life looking after her 38-year-old blind son and then this happens to her.

"Only scum would do this and I would hope that anyone who knows anything about it will get in touch with the police."

At the end of June, Leslie Phillips, 45, who was born deaf-blind and without speech needed hospital treatment after being shot in an air rifle attack in Middlesbrough.

At the time police called it a 'particularly nasty attack on a vulnerable person'.