Daughter's plea for help finding killer of 81-year-old

Retired architect Molly Morgan died after she was knocked over in the street in Harrow by a robber who snatched her shoulder bag.

She suffered a broken arm and head injuries, but passers-by ignored her pleas for help believing she was drunk.

Mrs Morgan was able to give police some details of her attack but did not see her assailant. She died later in hospital from a blood clot on the brain.

Today her daughter Hilary Underwood urged anyone who witnessed the robbery to come forward.

She described her mother as "fit and active and full of life" with years of her life ahead of her.

Mrs Underwood, a professional artist, said: "I still can't believe she has been taken away from me by a coward of a mugger. I was her only daughter and we were very close. We talked every day.

"I have lost my mum in a terrible way. I feel as if a part of me has been torn out and I am full of pain, sadness and frustration because I cannot understand how anybody could do this to my mum."

She added: "The person responsible is still out there and could do the same again to someone else's mum or gran.

"I know there were a number of people in the area who may have seen my mum on the pavement. I understand they may have been mistaken about why she was there and unaware of her serious injuries. If you were there and saw something please could you come forward and tell the police."

Mrs Morgan was on her way to help at a historical lecture at Kenton Library when she was attacked in Streatfield Road, at around 7.40pm on Thursday last week.

The pensioner was able to tell police that a man walked right past her, even though she asked him for help.

She lay on the ground for 10 minutes until two women - who had initially crossed the road to avoid her - heard her cries and came to her aid.

The man who walked past is described as white, in his late twenties, wearing a black woolly hat and long black coat.

Mrs Morgan's brown leather-effect bag contained an umbrella, extension lead and empty plastic bag. Neither the bag nor its contents have been found.