Donna King also had a ring taken from her finger as she lay just yards from her home.

Distraught Donna, 40, said she could have been "lying dead" for all the heartless thieves knew.

The sickening incident has left Donna too scared to venture out alone.
It is not known whether someone had followed Donna from local shops or whether an opportunist thief struck after seeing her sprawled out unconscious on the pavement.

Police have carried out door-to-door inquiries and scoured CCTV footage close to Donna's home, in Bruntoft Avenue, Hartlepool.

The last thing Donna, who suffers from low blood pressure and a decreased heart rate, remembers is walking home reading a text message on her mobile phone around 1.50pm on Tuesday.

She woke up with the contents of her handbag strewn across the path and her purse, bank cards and a Nationwide bank book missing.

Today she told the Mail how she despised the callous thief who rifled through her bag and took the £840 in cash which she had withdrawn from the bank for Christmas.

A dress ring was ripped from her finger – but Donna believes her swollen arthritic hands prevented the thief from snatching other more treasured rings.

And Donna, who was left with scratches to her face and neck, is grateful that a treasured gold chain given to her by her late grandmother was covered by a scarf.

Donna, who lives with husband Trevor, 39, a plumber with East Durham Homes, and her two children Elynner-May, 10, and Rhys, 11, said: "Whoever did this is scum – there's no other way to describe them.

"It's not the money, but the fact they left me lying there in the street without trying to help. I have been out twice with Trevor since it happened and both times I have had panic attacks.

"I cannot believe anyone could be so heartless and leave me lying there unconscious. I could have been dead for all they knew. It beggars belief."

After regaining consciousness she alerted a neighbour and rang her husband and police.

Donna, a former travel agent, moved to Hartlepoool 11 years ago, but is unable to work because of her medical condition.

Close friend and neighbour, Liz Higgins, said: "What happened is absolutely wicked. It is disgusting."

Detective Sergeant Jim Allen, of Hartlepool CID, said: "We are investigating reports of the incident and urge anyone with any information to ring (01642) 302126."