A woman was attacked by a dog - which was then swiftly taken away by its owner.

The victim, aged in her 40s and from Potters Bar, was power walking in the fields off Brookside, in South Mimms, on November 8 when she saw a Staffordshire bull terrier-type dog being walked by a man.

The dog ran across and knocked her to the ground, and bit her arm and hands.

The man came across and restrained the dog, and put it on a lead. He asked the victim if she was okay, but walked away in the direction of Brookside when she said “no”.

The victim received puncture wounds to her hand and arm, which required medical treatment.

The dog is described as being light grey and is believed to be young.

The man is described as white, aged in his late 50s and of a very slim build. He is believed to be around 5ft 8ins tall, with grey or white hair and moustache. He was wearing a khaki-coloured parka jacket and pale jeans.

Police officers are appealing for witnesses and information.

PC Gareth Clifford, who is investigating, said: “The woman was fortunate not to be more seriously injured and, as such, we would like to identify the dog and who it was with as soon as possible.

“It’s believed there may have been a man walking a Collie-type dog in the field just prior to the incident and he may have witnessed what happened or have other information that could prove useful to the investigation.

“If anyone believes they saw what happened or knows who the dog may belong to, please contact me.”

Anyone with information is urged to call 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.