A MUGGER put a young child beside an isolated road to lure a victim. A 28-year-old woman stopped her car thinking she was going to help the youngster who was standing alone in the dark.

But as she did so a man hidden in the undergrowth at Aylesham, near Canterbury, came up behind her and said he was going to rob her.

He said he wouldn't harm her but told her to get back in the car and hand over her money.

When she sat in the car, he put a bag over her head to stop her seeing him and ransacked her handbag.

He then fled, but glue at the bottom of the bag had stuck to the woman's hair and she was stranded, unable to remove it. She tooted her horn continuously until someone stopped to help her.

She was taken to the Kent and Canterbury Hospital where staff had to shave her head to remove the bag.

Police spokesman John Green said: "It looks like whoever did this used the child as a distraction technique. Using the bag obviously would have caused great distress to the victim.

The incident happened in Dorman Avenue North, Aylesham, last Friday at about 5.30pm.

The attacker's accent is described as foreign but European and the child had a tanned complexion.

Police are appealing for anyone with information to call CID at Dover on 01304 240055 or Crimestoppers, free and confidential, on 0800 555 111.