A WOMAN was punched in the face after challenging a would-be moped thief.
Joanne Preston was waiting to get a bus to work last Wednesday morning at around 6.20am on Leigh Road in Hindley Green when she and another resident noticed a man trying to break into houses.
CCTV footage of the man appearing to assault Joanne
They both followed the man before he went into the front garden of a house near the junction of Smiths Lane and was trying to break a moped off its lock.
CCTV footage shared by the property owner shows Jo look into the garden and challenge the suspect, who comes out to confront her before the man run off along Leigh Road towards the centre of Hindley Green.
Joanne Preston after she was assaulted
Joanne said: "When I confronted the man about what he was doing he came wading out and told me to mind my own business.
"He grabbed my work pass off my neck and threw it to the floor and snatched my glasses off.
"I then tried to take a picture of him with my phone and he went to grab for it and punched me in the face.
"Afterwards I thought about what could have happened if he had a knife.
"People like that are the scum of the world."
Joanne, who was treated at hospital for an eye injury, described the man who assaulted her as white, mid to late 20s, around 5"10 tall with short, brown, mousy hair.
If you have any information contact police on 101 quoting incident number 273 of January 16.
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