A WOMAN was kidnapped when she was walking her dog in the middle of the day. 

The woman, in her forties, was walking on Dunstan Avenue in Chipping Norton when a silver car stopped alongside her.

At some point between 1pm and 3pm on Tuesday a man then got out of the car and struck the victim in the face, knocking her to the ground.

She was then pushed into the back of the vehicle, with the dog, and he drove away.

He drove to Vernon Court, on Burford Road, where he pushed her and the dog out before making a getaway.

She did not go to hospital, but did have a brief loss of hearing.

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Police say the man who exited the vehicle and then assaulted the victim is also the driver, but there was one other passenger in the car, who was also a man.

A 41-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of kidnap, but he has been bailed until March 25. 

Police have said it is 'frightening' experience, but have reassured the public that they think it is 'isolated'. 

Appealing for anybody with information, investigating officer, Detective Constable Grahame Lea, of Force CID at Banbury police station, said: “I am appealing for witnesses to this incident, which was a very frightening experience for the victim.

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“I would like to reassure the public that we believe this incident to be isolated and targeted, and that there is not a further risk to the wider public.

“Officers will be conducting extra patrols in the area in the aftermath of this incident, and we would like to reassure the public that this is being investigated thoroughly.

“We would like to appeal to residents in Dunstan Avenue and Vernon Court, to see if anyone has CCTV installed outside their homes that could have captured anything significant."

Anybody with information should call 101 quoting 43200065189.