THESE are the horrific injuries suffered by pensioner Nancy Willett after a brutal attack as she was about to start her daily milk round.

Miss Willett suffered a fractured jaw and cheekbone, and needed 30 stitches to her head after the thug carried out the motiveless assault.

The 67-year-old, who runs AT Willet Bishpool Dairy in Bishpool, Newport, with her 73-year-old sister, Doreen, was attacked as she went to load her milk float at about 2.30am yesterday.

Detective Inspector Dave Edwards appealed for any witnesses to the "cowardly act on a defenceless old lady" to come forward.

He said there had been a number of walk-in burglaries in the area, and it was possible Miss Willett could have surprised a burglar on her property in Ringwood Avenue.

Speaking to the Argus after her release from hospital, Miss Willett said she had first thought she was being attacked by a wild animal.

"Somebody just stepped out and started beating me and said 'take that' in a very gruff voice," she said. "I fell to the ground and he continued hitting me.

"I could feel his presence over me and I was all giddy, but I managed to get up on one knee and get hold of the car and stagger back to call my sister. I thought it was a wild animal."

Miss Willett, who was yesterday being comforted by her family, said they had experienced youths at the dairy stealing milk before, but that her attacker had been much older.

And she vowed to continue her milk round: "I'm not afraid now that I've got a lot of people around me, but I will be afraid another day. We're going to have the fence mended and have lights outside."

Her sister, Doreen, said: "It was a dreadful shock."

Detective Constable Mark Davies said a search team had been looking for any weapon that may have been used, and that house-to- house inquiries had been carried out.

He said: "We've had creeper burglaries in the Alway, Bishpool and Treberth areas which may or may not be linked. It may have been an attempted burglary, but there is no suggestion he demanded anything." Officers do not have a description of the attacker as it was dark when the incident happened.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Alway CID on 01633 838111 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.