DETECTIVES have launched a manhunt after a 74-year-old woman was attacked and stabbed while she slept at her home in Bewsey.

An intruder broke into Winifred Murray's house at around midnight on Monday and stabbed the pensioner several times.

Mrs Murray, who is cared for by her granddaughter, is being treated for her injuries at Warrington Hospital where her condition is described as "stable but serious".

The area around the pensioner's Troutbeck Avenue home and parts of Bewsey Park, have been sealed off while forensic experts hunt for clues.

The attacker is described as a young, white man aged between 16 and 25 and he is believed to have been wearing a red striped t-shirt with no collar.

Police have not ruled out a sexual motive for the attack and they are warning people living in the area to be on their guard.

Neighbours' houses were empty on Tuesday morning as anxious sons and daughters visited their parents and took them away from the scene of the crime.

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Strachan, senior investigating officer for Warrington CID, interviewed Mrs Murray briefly about the horror attack and paid tribute to her courage.

He told the Guardian: "She was a vulnerable and frail old woman and it is inexplicable why this attack took place.

"Physically she is very frail but she has a got a strong spirit and I hope that she is able to make a recovery."

Police are also investigating possible links with an incident that happened half an hour before the attack on Mrs Murray, a former town centre licensee.

A man answering a similar description was seen following a middle-aged woman along Holford Avenue, which runs parallel to Troutbeck Avenue.

But when he was challenged by passers-by he fled.

Officers would like to speak to anyone who may have noticed a friend or relative acting suspiciously or wearing bloodstained clothing and anyone who was in the Troutbeck Avenue area of Bewsey between 10.30pm on Monday and the early hours of Tuesday.

People with information are asked to call Warrington CID on 652222 or speak confidentially to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.