A 94-year-old-woman was left with a fractured skull, broken bones and a severed finger after being brutally beaten by intruders as she slept at home.
Detectives today released a picture of Emma Winnall's sickening injuries in the hope it will prompt someone to come forward with information.
They said nothing was stolen and have yet to find any motive for the attack, which happened during the night at her home in Moseley, Birmingham.
The assault happened last Monday and she was found by her carer the next morning.
The attack left her with a fractured skull, a broken arm and wrist, partially severed finger and other multiple injuries.
She is still seriously ill and sedated in hospital having undergone emergency surgery, including having metal plates inserted into her arm, but police say her condition is improving.
Her family were at her bedside at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Police refused to say which of her finger had been severed, but confirmed it was not her wedding ring finger and said there was no evidence that it was a burglary which had gone wrong.
Neighbours said Mrs Winnall was wheelchair-bound and had lived on her own since her husband Frank died in 2006 aged 91.
Next-door neighbour Arshad Butt said he had been worried about people entering her garden through a broken fence.
He said: 'Emma is such a nice lady, I am devastated that this has happened to her. All the neighbours are in complete shock.
'It's normally a very nice area, but recently, I'd been concerned about some broken fences at the front of our garden.'
He added: 'The fence has been broken down and I'd noticed a lot of unsavoury-looking people walking through our garden, and using it as a short cut.
'I haven't felt safe recently with so many people I don't know coming so close to our houses. Emma is a very independent lady and goes shopping to the village most days by herself.'
She has lived in Birmingham her whole life and worked at the city's small arms factory during World War Two.
Mrs Winnall, who has five children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, featured in her local newspaper in 2001 when it emerged she still used the same teapot she first bought 61 years earlier.
She told her paper: 'I have other teapots but I don't use them.
'They don't keep the tea as warm so I use my aluminium one instead of my crockery ones. It's well made. That's why it has lasted.'
Her home is located in a block of flats just around the corner from Moseley Bog, a well-known nature reserve which inspired author J.R.R Toilkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit'.
Police officers were carrying out door-to-door enquiries in the quiet cul-de-sac today.
West Midlands Police Detective Chief Inspector Sarb Johal, said: 'It doesn't appear anything was stolen from the lady's home and the interior was largely undisturbed.
'We believe an implement of some sort was used during the assault. Our forensics experts are scouring the property in the hope of shedding some light on exactly what happened.
She suffered very nasty injuries and ones which, given her age, could well have been life threatening.
'She is showing signs of improvement in hospital; our thoughts are with her and hopefully she will make a full recovery.
'Mrs Winnall's daughter has asked us to issue an image of her mother in hospital showing the extent of her injuries in the hope it will stir consciences and persuade anyone with information to contact us.'
The victim's carer raised the alarm at 9am on Tuesday morning but the attack could have occurred at any time from 9pm the previous night.
Det Chief Insp Johal added: 'This is a truly sickening attack on a defenceless, frail lady as she slept in her own home. Mrs Winnall had nothing of note to steal.
'It was a senseless assault and I'd urge anyone with suspicions about who may be responsible to get in touch straight away.
'The attacker may well have mentioned something to a friend or relative or perhaps someone remembers a person acting oddly that evening or the following morning.
'I'm sure the answer to this vicious assault lies in our local communities so we're appealing for help to try and trace the offender.'