A 44-year-old woman was assaulted while walking her dogs in Penn woodland on Thursday afternoon.

The woman was walking her dogs in Penn Woods, Gravelly Way, at around 5pm on December 22 when she was approached by a man who asked her if she was lost.

The attacker gave the woman directions out of the woods and shortly after she walked off, he grabbed her from behind.

The victim managed to free herself and then ran away from the scene. The attacker is believed to be in his 30s, around five ft 10 inches, and was wearing a fleece jumper and was carrying a torch with a handle.

Police have urged anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or seen a man who was distressed with visible facial injuries in the area at the time to contact them.

Investigating officer Det Sgt John Denard, based at Taplow police station, said: “I would like to speak to anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious in the area on the evening of Thursday, 22 December.

“I would also like to speak to anyone who noticed an adult male who had sustained any visible facial injuries around this time, or who saw a man in the area who appeared to be out of breath or distressed.

“We believe this to have been an isolated incident, and a full investigation is being carried out.

“There will be an increase in patrols in the area, and I would like to reassure people that Thames Valley Police is doing everything possible in order to locate and arrest the man responsible for this incident.”

Police can be contacted on 101 or alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.