A Warwick man is in Police custody in connection with a brutal attack on a woman rider which left the victim with serious lacerations to her face. The 28-year-old man was arrested on Friday morning and may be brought before the courts in the next day to two.

The Royal Gazette reported on Saturday how the 24-year-old woman was riding along Middle Road, near to the junction of Longford Road, in Warwick at about 7.35 p.m. on Thursday when a man walked towards her in the road.

As she slowly rode past him, the suspect lashed out with an unidentified object, causing her to fall of her bike and suffer serious cuts to her face and neck.

A witness to the unprovoked assault tried to detain the attacker, but he managed to flee the scene.

The woman underwent plastic surgery for her injuries at the weekend and was last night described as stable on a general ward at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Last night, the uncle of the victim, who is not being identified, said she was improving.

He said: “She is doing quite well. She is a very high-spirited person with a very positive attitude and that is helping to carry her through this.

“She suffered facial injuries, but a plastic surgeon was on the Island at the weekend and he has operated on her.”

Police spokesman Dwayne Caines said: “A 28-year-old Warwick man has been arrested in connection with the vicious and unprovoked slashing of the woman on Thursday night.

“He may be brought before the courts in the near future.”