A blind pensioner was threatened with a knife and tied naked to a chair by a burglar who broke into her bedroom.

Widow Joyce Hailey, 81, was left helpless after the intruder ransacked her third-floor flat in Hove.

She was left with bruised arms, neck and back after the ordeal early on Sunday.

The burglar, who broke in after climbing up scaffolding, got away with £200 and a sapphire and diamond ring.

Mrs Hailey, who is registered blind, had gone to sleep some time after 8pm on Saturday.

She said: "The next thing I knew there was this hand rubbing my shoulder and someone said to get out of bed. I could just about make out a vague outline of a man.

"He asked me to be quiet and said he had a knife. I was very frightened. He said if I did what he said I wouldn't get hurt."

She added: "I said I had nothing and asked if I could put on a dressing gown but he said no."

The intruder allowed Mrs Hailey to go to the toilet. He then tied her to a chair and gagged her with a scarf.

He went from room to room rummaging through her belongings.

Mrs Hailey, a retired estate agent, said: "I could hear him moving about and I thought he was going to come back. I was very scared."

After the man left, she tried to call for help on her security phone but knocked it over.

Around 9am a neighbour heard Mrs Hailey banging the chair against the wall and phoned the police.

Mrs Hailey said: "I'm not too badly injured but I'm in a bit of shock. It's worrying that that man was able to walk into my flat from the scaffolding like that. I had the windows shut as well.

"I don't think he meant to find me there. It must have gone on four hours. I was still naked when the police arrived. It was quite cold. The police were marvellous, though."

Residents, many of them elderly, claim the scaffolding, put up more than two years ago because of a problem with the central heating at Courtenay Gate in Kingsway, has become a security hazard.

Several have been burgled in recent weeks and others have been victims of conmen.

Mrs Hailey's neighbour, Brian Alford, said: "I'm shocked and appalled about what's happened to Mrs Hailey. It's a real problem we have with people scaling the scaffolding."

Inspector Mark Powles of Sussex Police said: "It must have been extremely frightening and distressing. It seems gratuitous to have done what this man did."

Anyone with information should call Detective Sergeant Norlund on 0845 60 70 999.