A woman was attacked in Colchester when a man attempted to steal her pet pug.
The 22-year-old woman was walking her dog on the footpath between Berechurch Hall Road and Richard Day Walk, at around 8.20pm on Wednesday evening.
Officers from Essex Police said it was alleged that a man riding a bike attempted to grab the lead.
The woman pushed the man away and left the area with her dog, but was assaulted in the process.
She received minor injuries and police said enquiries are ongoing.
The incident follows a number of dog thefts in Essex and Suffolk, with 35 dogs being seized from an address in Feering last week.
Officers found 37 dogs including eight puppies which were alive.
A further seven puppies were found dead and one dog had to be put down at the scene, a spokesman for Essex Police said.
Anyone who may have witnessed the incident in Colchester is asked to contact police on 101 or submit a report online at https://www.essex.police.uk.
The reference number to quote is 42/68071/21.
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