A WOMAN who was sexually assaulted fought off her attacker, it has been revealed.

Cops investigating the sexual assault in Erskine said the attack did not escalate because of the woman's brave actions.

Detectives also returned to the scene of the distressing attack a week on to gather more information from local people about the attack.

The 43-year-old woman was walking her dog on a footpath in Rashieburn, Erskine, near to Rashielee Avenue, when she was approached by someone who grabbed her from behind and sexually assaulted her.

It is now believed that a man attacked the woman at around 3.15am on Sunday, July 15. The force previously said they were unsure of the sex of the attacker.

Detective Inspector Ian Ross, Paisley Police Office, said: “We had officers out in the Rashielee area this morning between 1am and 4am, and they spoke to a number of people who we’d like to thank along with everyone so far who has come forward with information.

“The response to this very distressing incident has been good so far but we still need to identify who attacked her.

“We believe she was attacked by a man and we know that thanks to her fighting him off things didn’t escalate, however, she is still distraught by what happened.

“We have to catch the person responsible so again would appeal to anyone with information to get in touch with police.

“Have a think back to last Sunday morning, did you see anyone hanging about the area you don’t recognise, or indeed, did someone you know come home looking flustered or acting out of character? Small pieces of information like that might seem trivial to you but to us they may prove vital in our investigation.”

Anyone with information that may assist the investigation should contact Paisley Police Office via 101. Please quote reference number 1043 of Sunday 15 July 2018 when calling. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted in confidence on 0800 555 111.