A woman was today recovering from the shock of an abduction attempt in which she thumped one of her attackers in the stomach with her umbrella.

The 28-year-old woman from Abingdon was waiting for a bus outside Unwins off licence in Oxford Road, Abingdon, at about 5am on Saturday when the attack happened.

The woman, who was on her way to work, was standing alone when two men in a dark blue hatchback car drove past slowly before making a U-turn in a nearby BP garage forecourt.

The attackers got out and tried to drag the woman into their car. But she fought back using her umbrella. She also bit one of her attackers.

The men dived back into the car and made off when a passing cyclist shouted at them.

Police are now hunting the would-be abductors and want to track the cyclist, a white man, aged about 50, who was wearing grey clothes.

A police spokesman said: "This woman showed great bravery to fight off her attackers but we now need the public's help to trace these two men."

The attackers one white and the other one black were both about 5ft 8in tall and in their early 20s. The black man wore dark clothes, was clean shaven and had short dark hair, possibly pulled back into short dreadlocks.

The white man was spotty and unshaven, wore light-coloured clothes and a baseball cap.

Witnesses can call 01235 556865.