A woman in her 70s has spoken of her “shock” after an alleged assault saw her knocked to the ground in the high street of a Suffolk town.
Kim Shaw was in Woodbridge on Monday morning when she says she was approached in Thoroughfare by an “unkempt” man in his 40s who shouted and pushed her over, injuring her arm.
Having been a regular visitor to the riverside town, for more than 50 years, Mrs Shaw said she had been left “in disbelief”. “You don’t expect foul mouthed people like that in Woodbridge,” she said.
“I’ve got a friend in town who is 86 and the last thing I’d want is for people knocking her about. If you don’t stop it these things only gets worse.”
Having undergone heart surgery in recent years, she said she feared the alleged attack would leave her incapacitated and was relieved her only injuries were cuts and grazes.
Mrs Shaw, who lives in Swilland and teaches quilting, said she often drives to Woodbridge of a morning to do her shopping and read the newspaper over a cup of coffee in one of the cafes.
On Monday she had visited McColl’s in Thoroughfare to buy a newspaper and was heading towards the Cake Shop Bakery, to pick up some bread rolls for her lunch, when she says she was approached by the man at around 8am. “I realised this guy was walking towards me,” she added.
“He came right up to me, he was very near my face and he started ranting and raving and using the F-word. I pulled up my paper to make a barrier but the next thing I know I was on the ground and my arms were grazed.”
Shocked, but only slightly hurt, Mrs Shaw carried on to the Cake Shop Bakery, where she says staff gave her tissues for her injury.
“The girls in the shop were absolute sweeties,” she added.
“It seems people do care.”
Mrs Shaw says she has been shouted at by her alleged attacker previously, but never expected for it to come to violence. “I’ve been coming to Woodbridge for 50-odd years and I’ve never had anything like this happen,” she added.
The suspect is described as white, approximately 5ft 7ins or 5ft 8ins in height, with mousey, shoulder length hair and is believed to be in his 40s. He was wearing a khaki-coloured T-shirt and was of “unkempt appearance”.
Witnesses or anyone knows the identity of the man is asked to call Suffolk Constabulary on 101.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here