A WOMAN was dragged to the floor by a masked intruder on her own doorstep.

The victim was sat in her living room in Chalfont Street, Astley Bridge, when she saw someone peering through the window at about 3.15pm yesterday.

Presuming it was a family member, she went round to the front door, where she was horrified to see a masked man carrying a hammer.

Frightened she would be attacked, the 44-year-old woman instinctively tried to run away through the open front door.

As she was trying to escape, the attacker noticed she was wearing gold bracelets and followed her out of the door.

The robber gripped the woman by her wrists and wrestled her to the floor, injuring her and damaging the jewellery as he did so.

However, the attacker failed to remove the bracelets and ran off before getting into a car parked nearby and driving off.

The woman was said to have been left in shock after the ordeal.

The attacker was white, medium build, about 5ft 2in tall and wearing a light coloured tracksuit bottoms, a black jacket, a black hat and either a balaclava or scarf to cover his face.

He was also wearing white trainers and what was said to be a slim hammer.

Police are now appealing to anyone with information to come forward.

Det Con Gary Dooley said: "This woman got the shock of her life to see a masked intruder stood in her hallway carrying a hammer.

"Unless you yourself have been through such a traumatic ordeal it would be hard to imagine just how scary this was.

"Instinctively she has tried to flee before she was attacked but the thief has followed her outside and physically dragged her to the floor in an attempt to get his hands on some jewellery.

"Thankfully he failed, but the intent was clearly there and he has subjected this woman to a terrifying physical and emotional ordeal.

"He is therefore someone we need to find quickly so we can arrest him and stop him from hurting anyone else."

He warned that the public should keep their windows and doors locked and to check their CCTV and alarm systems work.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.