A MAN has been arrested after a woman was injured while walking along a canal towpath in Solihull.
The 24-year-old local man, was arrested in the garden of a house of Castle Lane at 10:40am on suspicion of robbery.
Just two hours earlier, police received a 999 call from a member of the public reporting that a 71-year-old woman had been attacked and left with facial injuries.
Police officers were immediately dispatched and an investigation launched.
The man was later tracked to the garden and detained following a short foot chase. He was taken to Solihull police station where he remains.
Detective Sergeant Paul Jones, from Force CID is leading the investigation. He said: “Crimes like this are exceptionally rare in Solihull and we are working hard to understand the circumstances surrounding the attack.
“The woman who was attacked has been left badly shaken by the ordeal and she, like us, really wants to understand her attackers motive.
“As part of our investigation, a local man has been arrested and enquiries at the scene continue.”
The attacked woman, who lives in Acocks Green, was taken to hospital by ambulance. Her injuries are not believed to be serious.
Local officers were joined by a police sniffer dog in a search for clues.
Officers remain at both the canal and in the area where the man was arrested. House to house enquiries continue and detectives are in the process of identifying CCTV cameras which may have captured vital evidence.
Anyone with information which may aid the police investigation should call Solihull police on 101. People who do not want to speak with police officers directly can contact the independent charityCrimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.