Footage shows shocking moment London woman fights off rape attempt punching attacker in stomach

This shocking footage shows the moment a London woman was able to fight off a vicious rape attempt by punching her attacker in the stomach.

The video, released by the Metropolitan Police, shows the woman being followed by a man who crosses the road and bundles her into a driveway, knocking her down next to a low wall.

The suspect can be seen then starting to remove his jeans in the CCTV footage. In the next seconds the woman gets up and punches him in the stomach.

As she tries to escape he grabs her again but a concerned passing driver who witnessed the beginning of the attack returns.

The witness, who later alerted police to the crime, stops his car. The attacker runs away.

Police are seeking the suspect for questioning, and described him as being in his 30s with fair hair and a short brown beard. They have released a photo taken on a bus, as well as the footage, in a bid to track him down.