In a vicious and senseless crime, a teenage mugger broke an 81-year-old woman's arm and injured her hip for £3.25.

The pensioner was returning to her home in Prospect Place, a sheltered accommodation block in East Finchley, at around 9.50am on Monday, when she was attacked from behind.

A police spokeswoman said the victim told them she remembered feeling someone push her in her back.that someone had pushed her in her back.

She then felt her handbag being pulled away from her, which caused her to fall to the ground.

The fall left her with a broken arm and suspected broken hip. The mugger ran off in the direction of East End Road with his victim's bag which contained just £3.25 in change. The bag was later recovered.

The pensioner told police she had seen her attacker hanging around the block earlier, when she had gone out to do some shopping.

She remembered him because she noticed he was wearing silver shoes. She added that she suspected her attacker thought she had just collected her pension cheque, but she hadn't and only had a small amount of loose change in her purse.

She was taken to the Whittington Hospital in Highgate where she is in a stable condition. A hospital spokeswoman said: 'She is being treated for a broken arm and a possible broken hip. She will be here for a week or two.'

The suspect is described as a 16-year-old black male, 6ft tall of thin build, wearing dark clothing, a woolly hat and silver shoes, possibly trainers.

Anyone with information should call PC Mandy Thornhill on 020 8733 4535.

icoe@london.newsquest.co.uk