A WOMAN who was pushed to the ground and attacked in Flixton was saved by her dog.

The 37-year-old victim had been walking her dog at the Jack Lane nature reserve in the Flixton Moss area at 7pm on Sunday May 30 when a man approached her from behind, grabbed her shoulder and forced her to the ground.

But the woman’s dog managed to chase away the attacker.

The animal ran at the man grabbing his trousers causing him to panic and strike the victim in the face, before running off along Jack Lane towards the Irlam Locks.

The man is described as white with a clear complexion, about 5ft 8in tall, of a slim build in his mid-20s.

He was wearing a black baseball cap with a straight peak, a dark piece of cloth covering his face up to his eyes and a dark long-sleeved zip-up tracksuit with a small white band across the chest.

Detective Constable Daniel Hayes, of Trafford CID, said it was an isolated incident but urged people to be extra vigilant when walking through the nature reserve.

"I would ask people, especially women, to follow a few simple safety steps such as keeping to well-lit areas, where possible stay with friends and avoid secluded parts of the reserve late at night.

"I also want to appeal to anyone who witnessed what happened to come forward. We do not know what the motive for this attack was but thankfully the woman’s dog protected her and chased this man away before he could commit an even more serious act.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Trafford CID on 0161 8567652 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800555111 .