Police say a man who attacked a female dog walker in a park may have been lying in wait for a victim.

The 47-year-old woman was in Blaeberryhill Park in Whitburn, West Lothian, last Friday when a man appeared from the bushes, came up behind her and put his hand over her mouth.

She managed to get free following a struggle but detectives said it was a “potentially very serious” attack.

The incident happened at around 7pm on November 30. The victim believes the man was waiting for her as she did not hear him on the path beforehand, police said.

Detective Inspector Paul Batten said: “This was a frightening and potentially very serious attack.

“We are eager to trace the man responsible as soon as possible. I would ask anyone who was in the Blaeberryhill Park area of Whitburn on the evening of November 30 and saw anything suspicious, to get in touch with us.

“I would also ask anyone who has a CCTV camera in the Blaeberryhill Park area to contact us and allow officers to view any relevant footage.”

The suspect is described as white, in his 20s or 30s, and around 5ft 6in.

He was of slim to average build and wore a dark hooded top, dark trousers and woollen gloves.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting incident number 3446 of November 30, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.