POLICE in the New Forest are hunting a knifeman who tied up and robbed an elderly woman in her own home.

The heavily-built raider, who was wearing a red balaclava pulled over his face and brandishing a carving knife, pounced on his 74-year-old victim in the back garden of her home in Burley Road, Bransgore.

He pushed her to the ground before ordering her to get up. Then marched her at knifepoint into the house where he tied her to a chair and demanded cash and bank cards.

After forcing the woman to divulge her Pin numbers and taking £100 cash, the robber made his getaway in her bottle green Vauxhall Omega estate car which was later found abandoned in nearby Dial Close.

The pensioner, who is not being named by police, managed to wriggle free and raise the alarm soon after the raider left.

She was shaken by the ordeal but, apart from some minor chafing from the ropes, was not injured in the attack which occurred at around 3.30pm, on Friday.

Det Con Jamie Kyle of Ringwood CID, who is leading the hunt for the attacker, said: "This was a particularly cowardly attack on an elderly woman in her own home which was extremely frightening for her."

He appealed for information from anyone who was in the Burley Road area last Friday and saw the car during the 40 minutes between the raider's escape and the vehicle's appearance in Dial Close. Police believe the car may have been driving around or parked in the area before it was abandoned.

It is also thought the raider may have been hanging around in the area for days before the attack.

He is described as a white male, probably in his early 20s, over 6ft, of stocky build and wearing dark clothing.