An elderly woman who was repeatedly punched in the face and gagged by a balaclava-clad burglar is now too scared to go to sleep.

Dolly Bull, 81, is haunted by the horrific attack she suffered after answering her door.

She thought it would be a relative or a friend calling to see her but as soon as she opened the door, the man punched her in the face repeatedly, knocking her to the floor.

He then bound and gagged the terrified pensioner and dragged her from room to room through her house looking for things to steal.

He eventually left empty-handed after assaulting Mrs Bull again – fracturing her jaw, breaking her ankle and leaving her covered in cuts and bruises.

But after the attack, on November 21, the normally independent Mrs Bull was too frightened to stay in her home in Downview Close in Lavant, near Chichester.

Once she was released from hospital, she moved in with her daughter Linda Stanley in Hampshire.

Yesterday, Mrs Stanley revealed that her mother was still traumatised by the experience, a fear that was made worse by the fact that the perpetrator is still at large.

Mrs Stanley, 59, said her mother was scared to go to sleep and had flashbacks and panic attacks about what happened.

She said: “It has absolutely ruined her life.

“Mum was very independent, she used to meet up with friends and go to bingo and shopping but now she is too afraid to go out.

“She wakes up in the middle of the night with nightmares and gets nervous easily.

“She keeps seeing that man she opened the door to punching her in the face and then dragging her round the house by her arm.

“It has devastated her life.”

Mrs Stanley said she was sure that someone must know who attacked her mother and urged them to come forward.

Police have renewed their appeal for information to try and catch the attacker.

He is described as about 20, with pale white skin and short dark hair.

He was clean-shaven and wearing a navy balaclava and a blue or black anorak.

Anyone with information about the attack or who saw anyone acting suspiciously in the area at the time should call 0845 6070999, quoting Operation Browning, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

For more information about crime in your area go to the local information section of this website.