CAMILLA Gosling was walking along the Lancaster Canal in Carnforth when a man assaulted her and tried to steal her seven-month-old cockerpoo, Bailey.

She was walking by a children's park when he appeared from a woodland, hit her hard enough to break skin, failed to steal her dog and ran away.  The whole ordeal took less than 10 seconds.

She said: "It was just very scary.  I walk there every day, twice per day.  I've never felt unsafe there before but now I'd be too scared to go back on my own.

"I've been back with my partner just to see but I didn't like it."

The police are asking anyone who might have information to help.

She set off at 7.30pm and didn't expect to see anybody.  The attack happened 20 minutes later, at 7.50pm.

She said: "I used to walk there with my parents for years.  Now I have a puppy and until now I've walked there but not any longer.

"I'm still shaken but I’m getting there.  I’ll come to terms with it.

"I’ve heard of dogs being stolen before but nothing like being attacked."

Now she's walking Bailey somewhere else.

Police are appealing for anyone who might have seen her attacker.  She described him as slim, about 5ft 6ins tall, wearing an Adidas tracksuit with a dark beard and white trainers.  She never heard his voice.

She thinks he might have had a ring as the punch cut her below the eye rather than leaving a bruise.

She said: "I'd just put his lead on so was halfway through standing up when he hit me.

"I'm very lucky that I'd put the lead on and wrapped it around my wrist.

"When he realised he hadn't stolen the lead he ran straight off."

She thinks he was scared of her getting too good a look at him.

"I went into the wooded area and called my partner.  He called the police.  They took our statements, got a swab of my face, took the dog lead for evidence and had a drive around the area but we didn't spot anyone."

She pleads: "I just hope people are safe and vigilant about where they are going.  I never expected anything to happen to me there."

DC Peter Bennett, of Lancashire Police, said: "We appreciate this incident will have caused concern in the area but we are treating it as isolated at this time and do not believe there is any reason for dog-owners to be concerned."

Lancashire police are asking anyone with information to get in touch on 101, quoting log 1440 of July 15th.