Woman's hair ripped out of skull in Sheffield takeaway attack

A young woman says she has been left too afraid to return to Sheffield City Centre, after clumps of hair were ripped out of her skull during a vicious attack in a takeaway.
Lydia Smith, 21, had her hair ripped out during at attack in Aslan's takeaway in West StreetLydia Smith, 21, had her hair ripped out during at attack in Aslan's takeaway in West Street
Lydia Smith, 21, had her hair ripped out during at attack in Aslan's takeaway in West Street

Lydia Smith was visiting Aslan's takeaway in West Street following a night out with her 18-year-old sister, Isabel, and friend Tilly Muir when the incident took place.

She says the altercation began when Isabel asked if she could she could sit at the table of the woman who would later attack them both.

Lydia Smith, 21, had her hair ripped out during at attack in Aslan's takeaway in West StreetLydia Smith, 21, had her hair ripped out during at attack in Aslan's takeaway in West Street
Lydia Smith, 21, had her hair ripped out during at attack in Aslan's takeaway in West Street
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"Isabel asked if she could sit down, and the woman said 'you're so polite, you must not be from Sheffield'. They sat down and didn't say anything else," said Lydia, of Essex.

The 21-year-old added: "I hadn't been there because I was waiting for the food, I came over put the food on the table. The woman put our food on the floor. We picked it back up and put it on the table but the woman just did it again.

"All of a sudden she just went for Isabel, she was pulling at her hair. I didn't even think and just went in to protect Isabel. She went for me and started ripping out my hair. The takeaway staff came and tried to break it off and the woman and her friends ran off.

"It wasn't until afterwards when I saw clumps of my hair on the floor that I realised how bad it was.

Do you recognise this woman? Police want to speak to her in connection with the assault which took place in Aslan's takeaway in West Street.Do you recognise this woman? Police want to speak to her in connection with the assault which took place in Aslan's takeaway in West Street.
Do you recognise this woman? Police want to speak to her in connection with the assault which took place in Aslan's takeaway in West Street.
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"I was in shock for two weeks after it happened, it's made me feel really vulnerable. My family really want to find the person that did this, because it's affected me and Isabel so much.

"The spot where my hair was ripped out is quite noticeable. Thankfully I've got quite a lot of hair so I can just about cover it.

"We don't live in Sheffield, we were here visiting a friend. But we've been here loads of times before and have always had a good time, we were out in Sheffield the night before this happened and everything was fine.

"But now I'd be too afraid to go back into the city centre because of what happened. Isabel had been to an open day and was thinking about coming to Sheffield University but she's not going to now. "

Lydia Smith, 21, had her hair ripped out during at attack in Aslan's takeaway in West StreetLydia Smith, 21, had her hair ripped out during at attack in Aslan's takeaway in West Street
Lydia Smith, 21, had her hair ripped out during at attack in Aslan's takeaway in West Street
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Police have now released CCTV images of a woman they would like to speak to in connection with the incident, which took place at around 1.50am on Sunday, October 30.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "It is reported that two women, aged 18 and 21-years-old, were dragged by their hair and assaulted in Aslan’s takeaway, West Street, Sheffield, by an unknown woman.

"The woman has been described as white, with short brown hair and is believed to have been wearing a purple dress.

"Police have been following a number of lines of enquiry and would now like to speak to the woman pictured in the CCTV stills.

"If you know this woman or if you were in the takeaway at the time of the incident, please contact police on 101 quoting incident number 227 of 30 October 2016."