Police are appealing for any witnesses, or anyone with information, to come forward after a woman was sexually assaulted at the roadside in the Rownhams area

It comes after a woman reported to police that she had been assaulted by an unknown person on Rownhams Lane, between Rownhams and Toothill, at around 5.30pm yesterday evening (2 March).

The woman had stopped at the roadside believing she had hit something with her vehicle and was approached from behind by a person, before being sexually assaulted.

She managed to fight off her attacker before fleeing the scene to safety.

Officers are now appealing for anyone who may have seen what had happened, or witnessed anyone or a vehicle acting in suspicious circumstances at the time of the incident to come forward.

Any information, no matter how small or insignificant, could prove useful in our investigation to identify the person responsible.

If you have any information, please call 101 quoting crime reference number 44220085756.

Alternatively, you can submit information via the following form: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/.