Woman left unconscious in street attack

A WOMAN was left unconscious in the street following an unprovoked attack with an apparent sexual motive, police said yesterday.

The 31-year-old was grabbed from behind by a man as she walked home from Edinburgh's New Town on Friday night.

The woman, who later regained consciousness and was able to raise the alarm, last remembers walking along Saunders Street, which runs parallel to the Water of Leith.

She was subsequently found by relatives on the path under McKenzie Bridge, but has no idea how she got there. An extensive area was cordoned off by police for fingertip searches.

Detective Chief Inspector John McKenzie, of Lothian and Borders Police, said: "This is an unprovoked attack on a defenceless woman who was grabbed from behind by a man.

"She suffered a facial injury and was left unconscious as a result.

"She was not robbed and it would appear to have been a sexually motivated attack."

The woman walked along Heriot Row, Gloucester Lane and into India Place before she was attacked.

She was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where she was treated for minor injuries before being released.

McKenzie said: "She recalls being grabbed as she walked past India Place but then it is a blank until she came round some time later. She managed to contact her family who came to look for her and found her under the bridge.

"It does not appear she was robbed although a few of her possessions were found lying nearby."