A 65-year-old woman remains in hospital after sustaining nasty injuries during a brutal assault insider her own café.
Yau Fong Siu was forced to jump out of her first-floor window flat above Elmers End Cafe to escape three thuggish burglars.
Elmers End Cafe on Croydon Road in Beckenham has been around for almost 40 years and the callous break-in happened on Wednesday evening (April 24).
Yau Fong runs the café with her husband Peter.
Her nephew, Stephen Siu, spoke to News Shopper to thank both the police and St George’s Hospital for looking after her aunt.
"She had carpet cleaner squirted in her face, and she was hit on the head," he said.
"She jumped out of the first-floor window."
The woman fractured her pelvis, spine, arm and ribs and Stephen said it could have been even worse.
News Shopper understands she has been transferred out of intensive care into a ward to continue recovery.
"St George’s staff were great," Stephen said. "Nurse Megan was outstanding but so were the others."
He also praised the police for their compassionate response and for working "professionally and quickly".
Stephen was waiting for an update regarding what was stolen but confirmed a Nikon camera, lens and accessories were nicked.
Adrian Hamlyn voluntarily delivers News Shopper papers to the café every week.
He said: "The couple are very well liked. It’s a shock for people locally. We all think it is terrible news."
Adrian was in the café for his pint of orange juice hours before the horrific attack.
Elmers End Cafe has informed regulars that the business will be closed until further notice because of the assault.
A police spokesman said: "Three suspects gained entry to the address and assaulted a female occupant, spraying a noxious substance in her face.
"They then carried out an untidy search of both the commercial and residential premises before fleeing the scene with a quantity of cash and jewellery."
Investigations are ongoing and no arrests have been made.
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 with the reference number 6623/24APR.
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