Detectives are hoping vital video evidence will help them catch a man who subjected a woman to a vicious indecent assault.

And police said she prevented an even more horrific attack by fighting back.

The woman was attacked as she walked to her Chelmsford home after a night out.

The 37-year-old was assaulted as she walked along Bell Mead, near to the park, in Chelmsford at 2.30am on Saturday.

The man approached her from behind and carried out an indecent assault on her.

She managed to fight her assailant off, but she was hit on the face as she did so and also received wrist injuries.

The woman said he ran off in the direction of the town centre and police in Chelmsford are now looking at footage from the CCTV cameras to see if anything was caught on them.

Police say the attacker is in his early 20s with short dark brown hair and was wearing dark trousers and a shirt at the time.

A spokeswoman for Essex Police said the woman had shown courage by resisting the attack.

"She put up a good fight, even though she was injured herself," she said.

"It is likely she had stopped herself receiving any more injuries because of her bravery. Still, she was very shaken about the whole incident."

The spokesman said the woman had left the town centre after a night out, became separated from her husband during the journey home and made her own way back.

"After the incident, she hailed a taxi and it was the taxi driver who informed the police," she said.

"It is likely also that the man had injuries on his face as she fought him off."

Police are drawing up an e-fit picture of the attacker.

Anyone with information should contact Chelmsford police on 01245 491212 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

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