A woman was pulled to the ground by a man in an early morning attack.
The victim was approached by the stranger in Walbottle, Newcastle, at 7.20am on Saturday.
She suffered a minor injury in the incident but was able to run away.
Northumbria Police are now hunting the attacker and patrols have been stepped up in the area.
A spokeswoman said: “Shortly after 7.20am on Saturday we received a report that a woman had been approached by a man and subsequently pulled to the ground on North Walbottle Road, Walbottle.
“The victim, who was shaken and suffered a minor injury to her elbow, was able to run to safety. Extensive enquiries are ongoing to identify the man and we have increased patrols in the area."
Anyone with any information should call Northumbria Police on 101 quoting reference number NP-20220820-0226.
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