Woman assaulted by would-be dog thieves

By Barrie Hudson - 6 May 2021

Crime

The police are appealing for witnesses following a report of an attempted robbery of a dog and assault in Swindon.

A police spokesperson said: "On Friday, 30 April, it is reported that at approximately 6pm the victim was walking with their dog through a field off of Cricklade Road known as The Vinnie when it is alleged that she was approached by a man and woman who attempted to take the dog. 

"They failed in their attempts but did assault the victim, hitting their face, causing cuts, and punching her stomach.

"The woman is described as white, skinny build, approximately 5 foot 6 inches tall with long brown hair with blonde streaks. She had a purple piercing in the middle of her nose and spoke with a London accent. She was wearing dark blue jeans and a black summer jacket and was also carrying a large dark brown dog lead.

"The man is described as white, approximately 5 foot 10 inches tall with short, brown, messy hair and a mixture of a brown and ginger, medium-length beard. He was wearing black jogging bottoms and a black hoodie, spoke with a thick London accent and had tattoos on his knuckles which looked like writing."

PC Colin French said: “We take this type of crime incredibly seriously and fortunately the victim wasn’t seriously hurt and the dog wasn’t taken but it would have been an incredibly traumatic ordeal for them.

“We are looking for anyone who may have witnessed this or potentially saw anyone matching the descriptions which were given in the area.

“If you have any information that could assist with our enquiries, please call 101 quoting crime number 54210040943.

“While we don’t want people to panic or worry unnecessarily, please be vigilant and mindful when walking your dog and please report any attempted thefts to police so we can investigate.”

People can sign up to the Dog Watch service by visiting www.wiltsmessaging.co.uk - once they have signed up to Community Messaging – which will alert them to many things happening in the community.

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