A WOMAN was left shocked and bruised after being attacked by a man in a road rage attack in front of young children.

Shocked motorists saw a woman in her 50s pushed to the ground by a man in East Mayne, Basildon.

Police were called to the scene near The Water Mill pub following reports of a row between the two drivers.

Motorist Stephen Sugrue pulled over to help the woman who suffered scrapes and bruises in the attack.

Mr Sugrue, 46, from Wickford, was driving down East Mayne with his wife at the time. He said: “As we were going past Sainsburys we got to the next roundabout by Burnt Mills and saw an aggressive driver in a left hand turn lane and he decided to go straight on instead, moving me and this woman out of the outside lane.

“He got a bit aggressive and went into the back of her. They stopped and then carried on and he cut me up and nearly had the front of my car. He pulled in front of her car and stopped to get out and so did she.

“I stopped in the dual carriageway and saw him pushing her over and it all got a bit heated, and a bit aggressive really.”

Mr Sugrue added: “There was a child in the man’s car and she also had a child in the car.

“I was gobsmacked by it. I do karate and so can take care of myself but people didn’t stop. I ran down and shouted at him and he was on top of her.

“When I arrived it looked like he was going to beat her up. I said I was going to call the police and he took off.

“My main concern was the woman’s safety, she was really shaken up.”

Another passerby, who did not want to be named, said: “I was coming down in the other direction and I saw this bloke running towards the man and woman.

“He was shouting and the bloke got into his car and drove off.

“The woman’s car door was open and there was a kid in there who could only have been about ten and a kid in the Mini who looked younger.

“It was carnage, people were having to pull over. They were driving onto the grass and were braking.

“She was on the floor screaming and he had just let go of her. Both their doors were open and their were kids in the cars, it wasn’t right.”

The incident happened at around 1.30pm on Tuesday **Oct 27.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "Police are appealing for information following reports of an incident in Basildon in which a woman was assaulted.

"The incident is being treated as an assault causing actual bodily harm.

"Inquiries are being carried out to track down the driver of a blue Mini Copper S."

Anyone with information is asked to call investigating officer PC Roy Levett at Laindon Road Policing Unit on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.