The wife of a pensioner who was mugged on his way to hospital in Manchester city centre says she is 'livid' after claims she was forced to chase a response from police.
William Wolden, 81, was targeted on Oxford Road on his way to an appointment at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital last month.
But his wife Patricia says the elderly couple, from Longsight, were not seen by GMP for four days after the incident, despite visiting Levenshulme Police Station on multiple occasions.
READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) say they have apologised to Mr Wolden for the 'delay in allocating this incident' but that an officer has now been allocated to the case, and the force is working with the couple.
Patricia says 81-year-old William, who has a pacemaker, was 'kicked in the leg' before being mugged by a man on Oxford Road on March 22, leaving him with bruising.
The couple reported the incident to police the next day at Levenshulme Police Station, and were reportedly told that somebody would visit them that day.
"Nobody came, so I went back on the Friday (March 24) and was told the same thing. And again, nobody came for five days," Patricia told the Manchester Evening News.
She added that even when an officer did attend, it was at a time she had specifically requested them not to come due to her having to be out, meaning her elderly husband was alone.
"At the station they said police can’t always come at a specific time as they have to respond to emergencies," she said. "I said to them, is my husband not an emergency?
"My husband has a pacemaker, he could have had a heart attack when he was mugged, and I still had to chase them (police). I feel really let down." Patricia said she is 'livid' at the delay, and feels she has 'had to do all the running' to get her husband seen.
A GMP spokesman said: "We have apologised to Mr Wolden for the delay in allocating this incident. It has now been allocated and an officer will visit him to take his statement so we can investigate the full circumstances." The force say they will visit the family in coming days.
READ NEXT:
