A woman who was walking her dog on Boxing Day had her pet to thank after it scared away a pair of would-be robbers.

The woman was walking her Rottweiler dog on a footpath behind All Saints School in Thornaby, near Middlesbrough, when two men in dark clothing grabbed her and tried to steal her handbag.

However, her dog came to the rescue and frightened the men away, who fled empty handed. The incident happened shortly before 10pm on Boxing Day.

Cleveland Police is now appealing for information to try and track down the attempted robbers. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting incident number SE22231858. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Rottweiler scares away attempted robbers who targeted dog walker on Boxing Day