A TEENAGER was dragged into a Gloucester alleyway by a woman who then punched in the ribs and also ate one of her hair grips - and police are now appealing for information.

An 18-year-old woman was walking along Eastgate Street just after 4pm on Wednesday, when she felt her ponytail being grabbed from behind.

Her attacker - a woman who appeared to be drunk - pulled her into the alley beside the Mecca Bingo Club and punched her three times in the ribs, causing her to fall to the ground.

The woman then took a hair grip from the teenager's hair and appeared to swallow it, before walking off.

The victim made her way back to the main road in a very distressed state and spoke briefly to a passerby before going to hospital where she was found have internal bruising to her rib cage.

The attacker is described as being in her 60s, about 5ft 6ins tall with waist-length, curly grey hair which was matted. She was wearing a knitted white bobble hat, a long multi-coloured skirt, black boots and a dark blue hoodie.

Anyone with any information which could help trace the attacker is asked to call 101, quoting incident 367 of June 17 2015.