Neighbours of a 98-year-old left fighting for his life after being savagely beaten by intruders during a "senseless" raid said the area was a "burglary blackspot".

One resident living in the same street as the victim, named locally as Peter Gouldstone said they had been burgled six times in the last 10 years.

Police believe Mr Gouldtone was attacked at his home in Enfield on Bonfire Night.

He was rushed to hospital, where he remains in a "critical" condition, after being found with a catalogue of injuries, including one to the head, on Tuesday morning.

Neighbours were too scared to comment amid fears of repercussions.

But one said whoever was behind the attack may have used the alleyway behind Mr Gouldstone's house to gain entry to the property.

The neighbour said: "There's no light behind there so people can slip through into people's gardens."

A police car and cordon have blocked off the space behind Mr Gouldstone's house.

One neighbour said his house had been burgled six times in the last 10 years.

Khalid Mahmood, 42, added: "The police didn't catch anyone - they even took out clothes away for forensics.

"It's bad, I do feel unsafe - I'm here with three kids and my wife.

"My next door neighbour was 92-years-old - she was burgled twice leading up to her death four years ago.

"The poor woman would not stop shaking, she lived on her home and she was in fear of another break in.

"These things are something you've come to expect."

A witness of the aftermath said: "I was just driving past the end of the road last night and I saw a forensics van.

"They seem to he taking this pretty seriously - there are quite a few elderly people on the road."

Former print maker Len Steiner, 85, who has lived on the street for 70 years, said: "I haven't seen Peter for the past four years - he never left the house.

"I've had break-ins before; it's a fairly common thing around here."