A woman was smacked in the face with a handbag after telling a dog walker to keep her pets under control in Hornchurch this morning.

Police are investigating the alleged assault in Globe Road, near Hylands Park, which left the victim with bruises and a cut face.

Pauline Henkel, 35, said she was walking with her nine-year-old son Alfie Boyle when the dog walker told the boy to stop bouncing his ball.

She added: “We walked away but then the dogs were growling and I said she should stop them.

“I was walking away and she told me to ‘shut the f*** up’.

“I asked her who she thought she was talking to and then she hit me in the face with her handbag.

“She pushed me to the ground and then she was kicking me – my son saw the whole thing.”

Ms Henkel said she had never seen anything like it in Hornchurch during her time living there.

When she got up, the attacker had disappeared.

Police were called to the scene at about 10.30am near the park entrance.

A Havering Police spokesman said: “The attack took place following a verbal argument concerning a child’s ball annoying suspect’s dog .

“Following the initial exchange of words, the suspect allegedly struck the victim in the face with her handbag, causing her to fall to the ground, and kicked the victim while she lay on the ground.”

The suspect is a white woman, aged 30 to 35, 5ft 6ins tall with dark brown hair in a ponytail.

She spoke with a European accent and was wearing a purple hooded top with black leggings and trainers.

She was accompanied by a small “sausage” type dog.

Anyone with information should call Havering CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.