Pensioner stabbed by car thieves

A Pensioner suffered serious stab wounds when she was attacked in her driveway by car thieves.

Dorothy Foulkes, 75, had confronted two men at around 9.30 last night as they tried to break into her Nissan Primera.

She and her lodger had chased a car thief from her drive just a few weeks earlier and she was a victim of joyriders two years ago.

Today she is in a stable condition in hospital as neighbours and friends spoke of their shock at the stabbing. They described Miss Foulkes as "lovely" and said she is best known for her voluntary work in the community.

Arthur Baker, a neighbour and friend, said: "One of the policemen said she walked to the ambulance, so I hope she is all right. She's not well, she had a quadruple heart bypass three years ago."

Miss Foulkes has lived in the road in Cavendish Road, New Malden, for more than 50 years. She worked at the Milk Marketing Board as a clerical assistant before retiring.

She never married and has neither children nor siblings.

Mr Baker added: "She is a very, very kind lady who does a lot of voluntary work for the mental hospitals in Tolworth and Epsom. She also drives elderly ladies to the hospital for treatment.

"Throughout the year she has teachers and students from abroad staying with her. At one stage I thought about recommending her for an MBE because she does so much good work.

"At Christmas time she gets about two to three hundred presents and wraps them up for the patients at Tolworth."

Scotland Yard said they had arrested a man last night in connection with the stabbing.

Anyone with information should call 020 8541 1212 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.