A COUPLE in their 50s were assaulted as they were out walking their dog in a meadow at the back of Forge Mill Museum in Bordesley.

The husband and wife noticed a man, with a woman, ahead of them treating his own dog cruelly.

The couple tried to intervene but the woman punched the wife and the man knocked over the husband, then sat astride him as he punched him in the face.

The woman attacker also kicked the husband during the attack, between 4-4.15pm on Sunday.

Afterwards, the attackers walked towards the car park at the crematorium and sped off in a red hatchback, possibly an N-reg Fiat.

Pc Chris Bradley, of Redditch police, said: "Someone may recognise the offenders or the dog from the descriptions and the woman's name may have been Wendy.

"This area near the river is a popular haunt for dog walkers and we'd appeal to anyone who was there to give us a call if they saw anything that may be connected.

"Visitors to the needle museum and people using the crematorium car park may have noticed the red car racing away towards Sainsbury's island.

"We are treating these assaults very seriously."

The male attacker was white, in his late 20s, 6ft tall with short dark hair and clean-shaven. He was wearing a black anorak with a logo on it and dark jeans.

The woman was white, in her mid 30s, 5ft 8ins tall and of medium build. She had blonde, curly hair in a pony tail and a rainbow-coloured braid. She also had a noticeable tan and was wearing a red anorak, jeans and walking boots.

Both spoke with local accents and their dog was a light-coloured golden retriever, possibly only 18 months old, although quite large.

Anyone with information can call Pc Bradley on 08457 444888 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.