Woman kicked in stomach as robbers tried to snatch dog in Worksop

The 51-year-old victim was walking her pet along Blyth Road when she was approached by a man and a woman.

They tried to grab the pooch but she held on to its harness.

She was then kicked to the ground before the offenders fled at around 3.40pm on June 11.

They also took her door keys off her which had fallen to the ground during the tussle.

Chief Inspector Amy Styles-Jones, Nottinghamshire Police's dog theft lead, said: "Pet thefts are treated seriously by Nottinghamshire Police.

"It's absolutely heartbreaking for anyone to experience the theft of an animal and this victim acted incredibly bravely in order to try and keep her dog safe. We're grateful she wasn't seriously injured and that her pet was unharmed.

"We have very low numbers of dog thefts in Nottinghamshire and more than half of them are taken from gardens. It is extremely rare to have incidents where attempts are made to take a dog by force. In line with national guidance, we encourage pet owners to be vigilant when out walking their pets by always keeping them in sight and being wary of passersby acting suspiciously.

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"We have been working with the Worksop neighbourhood team who are keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity."

Detective Constable Emma Dalton, who is investigating the case, added: "We're working hard to track down the offenders but are appealing for members of the public to get in touch. If you saw or heard anything in the area, no matter how insignificant it might seem - it might just be the piece of information we need to uncover who was behind this malicious attack."

Both suspects are described as being in their 40s and of a medium build. The woman was said to have bleach blonde hair and was wearing a peach-coloured t-shirt. She also reportedly had a Liverpudlian accent. The man was said to have a bald head with short hair around the sides. He was wearing a dark-coloured shirt and three-quarter length shorts.

People with information are asked to contact Nottinghamshire police quoting incident 520 of 11 June.

Alternatively, please call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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