Ref. 12398/1SHERSTON mother-of-three Lynette Willetts was hit on the head with a brick in an unprovoked attack outside her house at Green Lane on Saturday.

Mrs Willetts, 38, was returning home alone in her car after a night out at the Carpenters Arms pub in the village, when the attacker struck at around midnight.

Getting out her Nissan car, which she had parked in her driveway, she heard the crunch of feet in the snow and suddenly the security lights flashed on.

Mrs Willetts said she saw a stocky man in his late 20s jump from behind the caravan parked in her garden and attack her.

He struck her on the forehead with what is believed to be a brick.

She said: "I heard the crunch in the snow and then I got hit and fell to the ground. I was in such shock and pain I couldn't scream.

"After he had attacked me he stood over me and did nothing he just watched me."

Seconds later Mrs Willetts said she heard her husband Shane coming up the road with her uncle and a group of friends who were returning from the pub.

"I shouted for Shane when I heard him walking up the street and the man ran off through the back of the garden towards the rec," she said.

"I think if Shane had not been coming up the road the man would have done a lot more. He could have just run but he didn't, he just stood there."

Mr Willetts, 41, who owns a window-cleaning firm, said he rushed up to the house when he heard his wife's calls.

"I was just by the church when I heard a thump. I thought she had crashed the car but then I heard my wife shout my name.

"I ran up the street and found her on the ground. She said she had been attacked and the man had ran off."

Shane and the rest of the group of around ten people than started searching for the attacker.

One of the search party, Shaun Painter, 19, chased a man for four minutes, running over the playing fields, but lost him when he jumped Sidebottoms Cliff and then disappeared.

Mrs Willetts said she felt dazed after the attack and suffered severe bruising to her forehead and grazes in a square shape.

"I woke up with such a headache the next day and I had nothing to drink the night before," she said.

"We were just at the pub playing darts and having a laugh. I have lived in the village all my life and never heard of an attack like this," said the mother of daughters Dee, 15, Laura, 13 and Shaunna, two.

Mrs Willetts went to the doctor on Monday and was asked to have check-ups regularly over the next month to make sure there is no lasting damage.

The attacker is described as being in his late 20s early 30s, between 5ft 6in and 5ft 8in tall, of stocky build with very poor complexion.

He was wearing a beanie hat with words No Fear on it, a blue zip up cardigan with a light blue band around the bottom, black trousers and white trainers.

Mrs Willetts said: "I have never seen the man before and I don't know why he attacked me. The police think he was possibly trying to burgle the house.

"I just want this man caught before he does something like this again or something more serious. "

Police are appealing for any witnesses to the attack or who saw anyone acting suspiciously in the Sherston area on Saturday to come forward.

PC Conner said: "We have searched the scene and our investigations are continuing but we would really like to hear from people who saw anyone fitting that description on Saturday night."

Witnesses who may be able to help are asked to contact to Malmesbury Police on (01666) 822222.