Man quizzed over meat cleaver attack on woman

A man has been arrested after a woman was attacked with a meat cleaver.

The 23-year-old woman was attacked in Duke Street, Bolton, at around 6pm on Friday after offering a man a lift.

A 33-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and remained in police custody for questioning.

The woman was walking to her car at an Aldi car park in Bolton when she noticed a man on his phone who seemed lost.

He asked her where he was and she helped him by giving the person he was speaking to their location.

As she got into her car, the man asked her for directions to the Ikon nightclub and she offered to give him a lift.

She dropped him off in Duke Street, near the Salvation Army building, and the man thanked her and opened the car door as if to leave, before suddenly grabbed her handbag from the back seat.

The woman tried to grab him as he made off and the man fell over.

The victim then got out of her car and started wrestling with the man as she tried to retrieve her bag.

During the struggle, she was struck on her head several times.

She screamed, the man ran off and she realised she was covered in blood.

The woman was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital, where she was given 20 stitches.

Police believe she was attacked with a meat cleaver.

Det Insp Andy Meeks of Bolton CID said: "This was a shocking and needless attack on a young woman who was being extremely generous to someone she thought was lost.

"It has left her with quite serious injuries and feeling terribly shaken."

Anyone with information is asked to call Bolton CID on 0161 856 5740 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.