A robber described by police as frenzied is on the run after he viciously beat an elderly woman and took about HK$100 from her on a hillside path in Sau Mau Ping yesterday. His attack left Lam Wan-kam, 73, bleeding from her nose and mouth, and her white shirt soaked with blood. Ms Lam was on the way to do exercises at a park at about 6.15am when the strongly built man in his 30s jumped out from the bushes opposite Shun Chi Court, according to police. He was wearing a grey shirt and jeans, and was Cantonese-speaking. 'The robber pushed her to the floor and started ransacking her shoulder bag,' a police source said. 'He became violent when she stood up, put up a struggle and screamed for help. 'She fell to the ground again in the attack, but the culprit did not stop. He continued to punch and kick her.' Another source said the beating lasted around two minutes. 'He stopped hitting her when someone walked past,' the source said. 'It was a vicious and frenzied attack as the victim was an old lady, unarmed and alone.' The man snatched her purse and fled on foot. The passer-by called the police. Ms Lam suffered head injuries and swelling. She was bandaged at the scene before being taken to United Christian Hospital, where she was in a stable condition. Officers searched the area but no one was arrested. Kwun Tong district councillor Fu Pik-chun called on the police to treat the case seriously and bring the culprit to justice. 'I have requested the police to step up patrols in the area, especially at daybreak when many elderly people walk up the hills to do exercises,' she said. Ms Fu also appealed to the elderly to walk in groups. She said there were no reports of similar robberies in the vicinity in recent years. Police said a couple were robbed while hiking in Jordan Valley, in the same district, a few months ago. A police investigator said they were checking whether the cases were linked. 'We will also look into any similar cases reported in other districts,' the officer said. In the first eight months of this year there were 727 reports of robbery compared with 835 in the same period last year.