A teenager who feared she would die after she was dragged into a graveyard and brutally attacked has told how the ordeal has left her frightened to be alone.

Millie Godfrey, 18, was pounced on from behind by a hooded stranger as she walked home from Chartham railway station late at night.

Her attacker punched her in the face repeatedly before pulling her into a nearby cemetery and attempting to strangle her.

The animal care student was left bloodied and bruised and ran to a nearby house as the thug calmly walked away.

Now, as a fresh appeal for witnesses is launched by Crimewatch, she has relived the ordeal, which happened along the A28 Ashford Road on April 14.

She told the BBC show: “Because I had my headphones in, I was completely oblivious that someone was following me.

“Right before it happened I knew somebody was behind me, but it was too late.

“He punched me in the face and just kept going and going.”

Millie was pushed to the ground and dragged into Chartham cemetery, where the man continued his vicious attack and attempted to throttle her.

“I thought I was going to die,” she said. “They weren’t stopping.”

As quickly as it began, the attack suddenly stopped, with the man walking off towards the station.

Millie took the opportunity to escape, running to a nearby house.

“I literally left my bag where it was,” she said. “I left everything and ran.

“Because I was in so much shock I didn’t even realise they had a gate. I just climbed over the fence.

“They were shocked to see my face. It was pretty bad.”

The police were called and Millie was taken to hospital, but officers found no trace of her attacker.

Her physical injuries have healed, but Millie remains mentally scarred by the ordeal.

“My sister will drive me home now instead of me getting the train,” she said.

“I’m OK as long as I’m with people. If I’m completely alone I don’t like it. Any small sound, I’m like ‘oh God’, somebody’s in the house, somebody’s following me.

“I’m a lot more cautious. It sucks because my freedom has been taken away from me.”

Detectives hope a man captured on grainy CCTV at the time may have witnessed the attack shortly before 11pm or have vital information.

Call police on 01843 222289, quoting ZY/12073/16.