A vulnerable 90-year-old woman has been left with serious injuries after being violently assaulted in her own bed.

Iris Warner was discovered by her son on Monday lunchtime in the house she has lived in for decades, in north-west London.

She had been severely beaten and was slipping in and out of consciousness. After being rushed to hospital, she was deemed to be in a critical condition and her life hung in the balance, police said.

Although her condition has improved, she remains seriously ill in hospital. She has also recovered consciousness but requires ongoing and intensive treatment.

Warner told police she remembers being woken up in bed by a man standing over her and believes he then struck her with an instrument. She hasn’t been able to provide a description of her attacker nor can she recall exactly when it happened.

Police have said she could have been attacked anytime from midday on Saturday 2 June to midday on Monday 4 June. Police believe the man carried out a hurried search as her bedroom was left in a “messy manner” although they have yet been unable to account for anything missing. 

Jeffrey Warner, 60, who found Iris, said he and his sister decided to release images of their mother’s injuries in the hope that the public to come forward with information that will help police catch her attacker.

In a statement, he 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.”

Detective Inspector Saj Hussain, 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.”

The attack follows a series of violent crimes involving older people. On Wednesday, Zofija Kaczan, 100, died after her neck was broken during a robbery in Derby and a man was jailed last week for attacking Jim Booth, 96, with a claw hammer in November.

Hussain said the public should not be alarmed as attacks of this nature are still very rare.