CCTV has emerged of a 90-year-old widow buying her morning papers hours before she was brutally beaten in bed.

Iris Warner is fighting for her life after a burglar burst into her home and attacked her in the latest violent crime to hit lawless London.

Images from a local shop taken on Saturday afternoon show elderly Iris buying newspaper in what could have been a couple of hours before she was attacked.

The 'defenceless' OAP was discovered on Monday afternoon, by her son Jeffrey Warner at her home in Brent, north west London, but police believe the attack could have happened at any time from 12pm on Saturday onwards.

It comes after her family released photographs depicting horrific injuries inflicted on the pensioner, who can be seen writhing in pain in hospital with her entire face black and blue.

CCTV images captures Iris buying newspaper just days before a burglar launched a brutal attack on the 90-year-old in her own home

Footage shows elderly Iris buying newspaper at a shop only days before she would be attacked by a burglar who broke into her home

She woke to find the intruder looming over her, at which point he struck the mother over and over again, leaving her with two bleeds on her brain, before rifling through her belongings.

Neighbours today said Mrs Warner had been left 'shaken' by another break-in at her home in November, and had been the victim of at least three during her time in the road.

Mrs Warner, who has been left with horrendous bruising down the entire length of her body, was so badly beaten over the head that she was drifting in and out of consciousness when found and cannot remember the man's face.

It is the latest in a long line of violent assaults carried out in London this month, with crime figures on the rise across the capital.

Iris Warner was discovered slipping in and out of consciousness by her son Jeffrey Warner at her home in Brent, north west London

Earlier this week a woman, 24, was left fighting for her life after she was punched by moped muggers, while comic Michael McIntyre was robbed of his £15,000 watch.

Meanwhile, an Australian TV presenter had a £15,000 camera ripped from her hands during a live report by a brazen thug on a bicycle.

The chilling muggings come as London's murder rate was revealed to be higher than New York's for the first time, with more than 70 killings so far this year.

Violent crime soared by 21 per cent last year, with 1.3 million offences recorded by police. Knife crime rose by 22 per cent.

The carnage of London's streets continued again this week when a teenager, a man and a woman were hospitalised by shootings in Brixton

Mrs Warner, who has lived in the same London home for several decades, was rushed to hospital on Monday afternoon in a critical condition, with medics unsure if she would survive the attack.

Her son Mr Warner, 60, and Iris' sister Lesley Tranter have now released shocking images of Mrs Warner, who has a son and two daughters, in her hospital bed.

The family hope that the photographs will prompt a member of the public to come forward with information that will help police catch her attacker.

Her son Mr Warner, 60, and his sister Lesley Tranter have released shocking photo of their mother in her hospital bed which reveal the extent of her injuries

Mr Warner said: 'We are shocked and appalled at the violence used against our mother Iris, better known as Anne to her friends and family - a defenceless 90-year-old-woman.

'It has left us feeling stunned and sickened. We appeal for anyone with information that could assist police in their investigation to come forward. The person responsible must be brought to justice.'

A friend of hers who lives in the same street said: 'She said the person who came in, they came from the back and it seems like the same thing happened this time.

If he done it there and got away he will do someone else. Of course you have to be worried because you never know if you'll be next.'

'She's a very proud lady. She's a strong woman because she walks to the post office and she walks to get her paper.

Mrs Warner (pictured) was rushed to hospital on Monday afternoon in a critical condition

'She always wears a dress in the summer. She used to like having tea and cakes. She is very tough but she is a very nice.

'She's got a son in Australia. He was coming over to stay with her before this happened.'

In December, Mrs Warner's next door neighbour Mahendra Mepani installed a £500 steel gate and fence between their homes due to her concerns over the burglary.

Mohammed Saraf, 55, who is blind and lives opposite Iris's home, said he had been burgled three times.

The Kingsway area of Brent where the attack happened has a large population of south Asian immigrants who often keep jewellery and gold in their homes.

Mr Saraf, whose home was raided while he and his wife were out five years ago, said: 'This area, they come for a lot of jewellery and cash.'

Speaking of the horrific attack on Iris, he added: 'They are cowards, they don't deserve to live in this country and should be locked up.

'It's very distressing to be burgled but it's nothing like this.

'If you are going to burgle someone - burglary is not right - but you don't have to harm someone, especially a 90-year-old lady.'

Neighbour and mum-of-two Lila Bhavan, 33, whose children are aged four and six, said: 'It's scary to let them play outside in the garden, it's nice weather but you can't let the children play out.

'It's mixed but there are many elderly people living her after their children move out. Burglaries are always happening every year - two or three tunes on this street.'

Although her condition has improved, Mrs Warner remains seriously ill and requires ongoing and intensive treatment, the Metropolitan Police said.

The family hope that the images will prompt a member of the public to come forward with information that will help police catch her attacker

Officers believe she was attacked at some point between Saturday and Monday, but cannot be sure as Mrs Warner has been unable to provide a definitive account.

Her family said Mrs Warner is highly independent and uses the bus to travel to do her regular shops at nearby supermarkets.

She also visits the local newsagent every day, and is particularly fond of doing crosswords.

Detective Inspector Saj Hussain, from Brent CID, said: 'This was a horrific attack carried out on a very vulnerable elderly woman in her own home, and must have been absolutely terrifying for Iris.

'She has various medical complications on top of the injuries sustained in the assault that are likely to keep her in hospital for a very long time.

'Her family are desperate for any information from the public that could help us catch this man.

'We would like the public to think back to last weekend into Monday 4, June about what they might have seen in the Brampton Road area.

'Finally, I'd like to remind the public that crimes of this nature are incredibly rare, so we do not want the public to be alarmed.'

Wild West London: Sixty moped attacks a day, a woman fights for life after mugging and drug crime on the rise as cops hunt for Michael McIntyre gang

Britain is in the grip of a violent crime wave as thugs run riot on mopeds and motorbikes.

Shocking figures released this week show the armed thieves are striking more than 60 times every day.

Campaigners and politicians warned the attacks were matched by disturbing rises in stabbings, drug crime and gang violence.

London now has a higher murder rate than New York, with more than 70 killings so far this year.

Britain is in the grip of a violent crime wave as thugs run riot on mopeds and motorbikes. Pictured: Scene of thugs breaking into a jewellers in central London on Tuesday

Knife crime has also led to the deaths of a 17-year-old boy in Ipswich and of 15-year-olds in Sheffield and Wolverhampton.

Meanwhile, two elderly women suffered broken necks, one later dying after being attacked in Derby and Birmingham.

As an MP said parts of the country were becoming 'like the Wild West':

Scotland Yard has logged 22,025 motorcycle muggings in 12 months – a rise of 50 per cent;

Officers revealed that city gangs had set up 650 'county line' networks to sell drugs in towns and villages;

Police were hunting moped robbers who targeted comedian Michael McIntyre;

A rank-and-file police leader said officers were wary of chasing them for fear of possible disciplinary action;

A think-tank said shop theft cost £6.3billion last year – or £270 for every household.

Violent crime soared by 21 per cent last year, with 1.3million offences recorded by police. The figure was the highest since records began in their current form 15 years ago.

Knife crime rose by 22 per cent, robberies by a third and sex attacks were up by a quarter as police recorded 5.4million offences, 13 per cent up on the previous year.

'It is alarming that violent crime in England is rising so fast,' said Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman. 'People are telling me they no longer feel safe in their own communities.

Horrifying footage has captured the moment a masked thug wielding a machete (pictured) tried to smash a motorist's window in Birmingham

'For some areas it's fast becoming like the Wild West with criminals no longer afraid of getting caught. The blame rests squarely at the feet of this Government.

'Theresa May was responsible for slashing police budgets and even now she appears to be resisting calls for extra spending on police.'

David Green, of the Civitas think-tank, said: 'A fall in police numbers combined with increasingly violent drug gangs has meant some parts of our cities resemble TV's The Wire. Violent crime is rising and knife crime is rising as gangs fight over drug territories.'

Experts believe a booming illicit drugs market – notably in crack cocaine – is fuelling much of the violence. They have also highlighted the middle-class appetite for regular cocaine.

The Metropolitan Police figures showed that crimes committed using mopeds, scooters and motorcycles soared by 50 per cent in the year to May, to 22,025.

This is the terrifying moment knife-wielding muggers on a moped forced Michael McIntyre, circled, to hand over his Rolex as he picked up his ten-year-old son Oscar up from school

A 24-year-old woman who is fighting for her life was attacked by two thugs on a moped in Edgware, north London, just after 9pm on Monday. She suffered a head injury and was found unconscious on the ground.

McIntyre was also targeted in north London, while picking his son up from school on Monday. The moped muggers made off with his watch and are thought to have been watching his movements.

Rory Geoghegan, of the Centre for Social Justice, called on frontline police to get a grip. The think-tank published a report today highlighting how heroin, crack cocaine and synthetic drugs drive shop thefts.

'Our criminal justice system is in desperate need of a fix,' he said.

The Police Federation called for the bringing forward of legislation to protect police from claims if they pursue crooks.

Sergeant Tim Rogers said many officers still feared being charged with careless or reckless driving.

The chilling reality of Wild West UK: Shock figures reveal violent crime is up 50 per cent in parts of Britain

MANCHESTER

Brazenly carrying foot-long machete, masked store raider

Brandishing a foot-long machete, this masked thief and an accomplice terrorised staff at a grocery store.

The raiders, wearing black balaclavas and gloves, forced workers at a One Stop Shop to hand over cash from the shop safe and till, before stealing cigarettes and fleeing on foot.

Police yesterday released CCTV images of the terrifying raid, which occurred shortly before 11pm on April 19 in Bury, Greater Manchester.

Detective Constable Gordon Milne, of Greater Manchester Police, said: 'This was a distressing incident that left innocent staff members fearing for their safety. We would urge anyone who recognises the offenders, or has any information, to contact police immediately.'

Police yesterday released CCTV images of the terrifying raid, which occurred shortly before 11pm on April 19 in Bury, Greater Manchester

It is thought a grey-silver or light blue Fiat Punto the thugs used was abandoned nearby.

Design engineer James Harker, 32, spent a night in hospital after being stabbed by a gang who tried to steal his phone last week.

Mr Harker was walking home following a night out when he was attacked by three men in Hazel Grove, Greater Manchester, at around 11.30pm.

When he refused to hand over his phone he was stabbed in the back but he escaped serious injury thanks to a leather jacket he was wearing.

CARDIFF

Hammer gangs clash near primary school

Armed to the teeth with axes, knives and hammers, two gangs of youths clashed outside a primary school as children were leaving.

Shocked parents were collecting their youngsters when they saw the fracas in Whitchurch, Cardiff. A boy of 14 was found hiding in a neighbour's garden after being chased by blade-wielding teens.

Shocked parents were collecting their youngsters when they saw the fracas in Whitchurch, Cardiff

One witness reported seeing about 20 pupils running past his home and later found a discarded axe on his roof. The fracas was caught on camera by a pupil with their mobile phone.

Karen Bryant, who was picking up her daughter from primary school, gave a victim impact statement to Cardiff Crown Court saying: 'This type of aggression must be stopped otherwise someone will be hurt or even killed.'

Two 18-year-olds – Adam Awan and Anthony O'Driscoll – admitted affray and were given nine months and eight months respectively in a young offender institution.

ISLINGTON, NORTH LONDON

TV crew's £15k camera is stolen on the street

Thieves stole a £15,000 camera from an Australian TV crew moments after they had finished a live broadcast in a London street.

The brazen robbery took place at 10pm on Tuesday, after reporter Laurel Irving had completed a live appearance on the Sunrise breakfast programme on Channel Seven in Australia.

Miss Irving was completing her report on Britain's the Royal family when two masked men approached her and her cameraman, Jimmy Cannon, as they filmed in Islington, north London.

Chilling: Reporter Laurel Irving, left, was robbed as a broadcast ended. Right, a thief flees with the camera, circled

Yesterday she told of the moment the pair approached and said she noticed they were masked. Miss Irving said: 'I kept working and ignored them ... while that was happening one of them walked up to Jimmy my cameraman and started talking to him.

'All of a sudden Jimmy took the camera off the tripod, which is when I stepped in ... Jimmy said, 'No, stay back Laurel,' and was giving the camera to a guy in a balaclava.

'I tried to grab the camera and Jimmy said, 'No, no... he's got a gun.'

'He knew what was about to happen, you couldn't stop it at that point.'

NORTH LONDON

Moment McIntyre muggers struck

This is the terrifying moment knife-wielding muggers on a moped forced Michael McIntyre, circled, to hand over his Rolex as he picked up his ten-year-old son Oscar up from school.

But despite his ordeal on Monday, the comedian appeared to be back on form yesterday as he joked that he had plans to replace his £15,000 watch to ensure he arrives at his next gig on time.

McIntyre, 42, was pictured yesterday, above right, outside his £5.7million mansion in Hampstead, North London, and said he was 'feeling better' after the attack in which two robbers smashed the window of his Range Rover, then robbed him at knifepoint.

Asked about the show he is due to do in Dublin last night, he said: 'I'm not sure if I'm going to arrive there on time, but I'm going to get a new watch later.'