A 26-year-old woman was assaulted by two teenagers while out running in broad daylight on a popular canal in Newport.

The woman, who was out running on the canal in Malpas at around midday last Sunday, September 15, recalled seeing two teenagers on bikes coming towards her before they hit her to the ground.

“I remember seeing them coming towards me and thinking why are they not slowing down?," she said.

"I tried to get out of their way but then one of them ended up grabbing me and pushing me into the side of the path, causing me to fall to the ground.

“The two boys must have been around 15 or 16 years old and after they pushed me over, they just stood 10 metres ahead of me, name calling and laughing.

“I was mainly in shock, and I immediately started crying.

“For some reason I also felt quite embarrassed that they had chosen me as the ‘vulnerable’ person to attack.

“I remember looking up to see them pointing at me whilst laughing and shouting.”

The victim spoke with a couple walking on the canal at the same time, who noticed that she was shaken up and upset.

They had not seen the incident but told her that the same two teenagers had also targeted an elderly man by pushing him off his bike a bit further along the canal.

"A couple came up to me and although they had not seen what had happened, they saw that I was visibly upset."

"They told me that further up the canal they had assaulted an elderly man, which is obviously really concerning.

“It seems like they are targeting what some may consider society’s more vulnerable people – the elderly and women,” said the victim.

The incident has impacted her mentally as she no longer feels safe to go out running on her own, which is something she has always regularly done.

The 26-year-old is an avid marathon runner, and with Cardiff Half Marathon just three weeks away, she is wary of training for it alone.

The incident sparked attention in local community groups on Facebook with many other women feeling "fed up of not feeling safe at any time when they are out alone."

"It feels as though women can not do anything without being at risk of violence from a man, even in broad daylight. When will it end?," said a commenter.

A spokesperson for Gwent Police said: "We’re aware of this report and enquiries are ongoing to identify those involved."