POLICE have cordoned off woodland in Southampton today after a female jogger was attacked.

They swooped on the area off Aldermoor Road at 8.30am to seal off a path running through trees to a green enclosure opposite Aldermoor Avenue.

Officers are conducting door-to-door inquiries.

The victim was jogging through the wooded area when she was assaulted by a man who then ran off. It happened shortly before 8.30am.

The man is described as in his late 20s around 5ft 10in and slim. He was wearing a black raincoat.

People living nearby spoke of their shock.

Jane Ward, 51, a shelf filler who lives nearby, told the Daily Echo: “It’s very scary because I take my dogs up there and my son sometimes comes in quite late. It’s fine round here normally. We don’t get any trouble here normally.”

Great-grandmother Linda Bennett, 64, has lived in area for 27 years and never known anything like it before.

She said: “We don’t hear nothing out here, It’s a shock really.”

Ashley Harrop, 24, a self employed labourer, added: “It’s a bit horrible happening on your doorstep because it could happen to anyone.

“Someone else got stabbed there a couple of years ago. I feel safe but I feel for other people especially females, older people and young children.”

Coxford ward councillor Don Thomas said: “Details are still very sketchy at the moment but thankfully these sorts of horrible attacks are rarer than we think.]

“We have just had new lighting installed in the area, which are we hoping will make everyone feel safer.

“This (attack) was apparently in broad day light and we must all get behind the police to hunt this animal down but I don’t think any animal would attack in such a way.”

Police are appealing for any witnessed who were in the area at the time who saw any of the incident or believes they may have seen the man or the victim around that time.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Western Area CID team at Southampton Central police station on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.