PEOPLE living near a forest clearing where a woman was raped in broad daylight have expressed their shock at the attack.

Police are appealing for information after the 29-year-old woman was attacked in the wood behind High View Road in South Woodford at around 2:50pm on Wednesday (May 19).

After her ordeal had ended, the victim knocked at houses in High View Road next to the alleyway leading to the woods.

Eventually she came to the home of Cecilia McKelvey and her family, who took her into their kitchen and called the police.

Mrs McKelvey, 50, said: "My son actually answered the door to her. She was hysterical, she was so frightened.

"We brought her indoors and tried to calm her down while we got on the phone to the police.

"She wasn't wearing any shoes and her feet were covered in mud, and her face was smeared with blood because she'd been hit.

"She said she'd seen the guy hanging around and was worried about him, so she'd started to head off when he came up and attacked her.

"It makes you worry about the area. A few years ago my teenage daughter was accosted by a flasher, so although it is well-used there are some dangerous people around."

Neighbour Louise James, 34, said: "I have to say it has made us scared. I've got a teenager daughter and there are lots of families around here.

"It's a nice area and we're not used to having things like that happen around here.”

Another neighbour, Vicky Economou, 46, said: “It's pretty scary, especially happening in the middle of the afternoon.

“I must say the police were very good, as they were there for hours afterwards examining everything.”

Her attacker, who is thought to have been loitering around the area on a dark-coloured mountain bike about 30 minutes before the attack, approached the woman from behind and held his hand over her mouth.

He then threatened to stab her, before raping her. The victim said she saw no weapon during the attack.

The man made off on his bike along the alley running alongside Forest Girls' School, heading towards Oakhurst Gardens.

The suspect is said to be in his late teens, slim, black, of medium build with short black hair, wearing a green T-shirt, black tracksuit bottoms and carrying a small shoulder bag. He spoke with a local accent.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police's Sapphire Unit are investigating. So far no arrests have been made.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the incident room on 020 8345 3562, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.