Brave pensioner injured in horrifying attack thanks community for making her feel safe in her own home again

Ida Brown has been inundated with gifts, hot meals and messages of support after she was badly injured trying to stop two men from stealing her mobility scooter.

Pictures showing the horrific bruising to the 79-year-old’s face and knee shocked the North East.

Two men had tried to steal her mobility scooter from Ross Avenue, Dunston, just after 5.30am before brave Ida disturbed them.

They pushed her into a wall and left her in a crumpled heap on the floor before fleeing the scene and warning her they would be coming back.

Ida, who is currently battling leukemia, did not sustain any long-term injuries but the attack left her too scared to leave her own home.

Ida has been overwhelmed by the support from the community. She has had security lights and a new CCTV system installed, is having daily hot meals delivered free of charge and will receive more than £5,000 through a Go Fund Me page set up by the community.

Local volunteer group Dunston Help For Families has also arranged for a shed to be built outside her home that can house her mobility scooter.

Ida, who lives with her cats Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, said: “Everyone has been so good, I’ve had people knocking on my door every day to ask if I’m okay and people have been bringing me food and flowers.

“I have had old colleagues I haven’t seen in years sending me flowers, people have been doing my shopping and bringing me food.

“I’m not used to being on TV or on the front page of the papers. I didn’t look very beautiful but I hope it has made a difference and people think twice about attacking someone else like.

“I just wanted to make sure it didn’t happen to anyone else and people seem to think that the people who did this to me wouldn’t try it again because of all the backlash.

“The police have been very supportive, they took me up to the hospital the day it happened and waited with me for six hours and then took me home.

“It was the first ride in a police car I had ever had. The officers have been so good, they have made me feel safer for what they have done.”

Police continue to investigate the attempted robbery and are still asking members of the community to provide names of those responsible for the cowardly attack.

Neighbourhood Inspector Alan Davison said: ”We know there will be people in the community who know who is responsible for this attack and we want you to do the right thing, and give us their names.”

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “[Police] need the public’s help with information to catch them though. Surely every single person wants these two to feel the full force of law for this. This is not something we will tolerate in our region.”

Anyone with information that may help police identify those responsible for the attack on February 28 should call 101 quoting log 504 28/02/21.