Gardai are appealing for witnesses, after a woman was attacked by a man while out walking her dog in west Dublin.

The woman - who was using a crutch to walk - was assaulted on Blakestown Way in Blanchardstown, in the early hours of yesterday.

Gardai have praised the intervention of a passing taxi driver, who they say prevented a more serious assault taking place.

They're now seeking a man described as being in his late 20s, around 6 feet tall, with a Dublin accent and a chipped left front tooth.

He was wearing jeans and a dark coloured hoody.