Woman pushed to ground, kicked and sprayed in face during robbery in Rotherham

The 44-year-old was walking through an underpass below the exit slip road at junction 34 of the M1 when she was approached from behind and knocked to the ground.

She told police that she was kicked a number of times and sprayed in her face with a substance as two men tried to steal her rucksack.

The robbers eventually escaped with a small amount of cash.

South Yorkshire Police said the victim suffered cuts and bruising but was not seriously injured during the incident at 12.50pm, on Sunday.

Detective Sergeant Janine Broughton said: “This was an unprovoked incident, in the middle of the day and we supporting the victim through this distressing incident.

“We believe that we are looking for two men and we are working closely with the victim to be able to provide descriptions of the attackers.

“We are unsure of the nature of the substance that was sprayed in her face other than it was described as smelling like nail polish remover. Fortunately, it has not caused any lasting damage.

“We are reviewing CCTV, adding extra patrols and carrying out local enquiries, and we are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen something.

"Were you in the area at the time? Did you see anyone acting suspiciously in or around the underpass?"

Anyone with information should call South Yorkshire Police on 101 and quote incident 491 of December 10.