A WOMAN bravely fought off an attacker who grabbed her and tried to drag her into his vehicle.

The woman, who is in her 20s, was on her way back from a night out in the town centre.

She had briefly stopped on Station Road in a fast food restaurant before making her way along Serpentine Way at around 1.50am on Sunday.

As she walked down the road, she was grabbed from behind by a man who tried to pull her into a silver car -parked nearby with another man in the drivers seat.

The victim struggled with her attacker and managed to run to her home, which was nearby.

Police say she has been left incredibly shaken up by the incident but not injured.

Catalina Eni, a resident of Serpentine Way, said: “I heard shouting coming from outside my house down the road.

“Normally I get up and have a look out the window but I couldn’t see anything.

“A woman was shouting “get off of me” very loudly.”

Ms Eni added: ““At first I thought it might be a couple having an argument but I heard her shout again.

“It sounded like someone covered her mouth as she was trying to scream.

“I looked outside but I couldn’t see anyone.

“It is normally a quiet neighbourhood around here - I am just glad she managed to get away and is ok.”

Mr Waite, another resident of Serpentine Walk, said: “I stayed up late last night because my daughter was out in the town and I’m a typical protective dad.

“I heard a car screech and come to a halt out the back of my house.

“It is really shocking, we have just had a burglary down the road.

“It is a bit of a rat race down here during at the weekends with people walking through.

“Having the streetlights off after one 1am does not help with crime.”

Det Supt Richard Edwards from Colchester Police Station reassured the public that cases such as this are extremely rare.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Dc Duncan Collyer at Colchester Police Station on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.