The woman was walking through the A331 underpass between The Moors and Tongham Road at around 9.35am when she was approached by a man who was holding a knife. She managed to run away from the area and was uninjured.

The man is described as Asian, around 5ft 8 tall, of a large build with short, dark, unkempt hair and a clean-shaven face. He was wearing dark grey trousers and a white t-shirt with a thin blue overshirt which was undone.

Map showing the area in which the incident took place Google Maps

Sergeant Phil Bayman said: “I understand that this incident, along with a heavy police presence in the area today, is concerning for local residents, and I would like to reassure them that we are doing everything we can to locate the suspect.

“There will be a continued police presence in the area and I would urge anyone who may have witnessed the incident or saw someone matching the suspect’s description to please report to us straight away via our website.”

A police spokesperson said: “If you have any information which could help our investigation, please contact us quoting P22061621 via:

• Webchat on our website https://www.surrey.police.uk/
• Our online reporting tool https://www.surrey.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/
• Calling us on 101

“If you do not wish to leave your name, please call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”