STUNNED residents have said they feel ‘uneasy’ walking in their local park after a dog walker was stabbed there in a seemingly random attack.

The woman in her 50s was walking through Boxhill Park in Abingdon at about 10.30am on Thursday when she was approached by a man who she guessed was in his late teens.

He put his left hand over her mouth before stabbing her once in the stomach and then fleeing into the woods near Clifton Drive.

A 17-year-old boy from Abingdon was arrested last week but on Monday police confirmed he had been released without further action and put out a fresh appeal for witnesses to the attack.

A heavy police presence still surrounds the wooded area, with at least a dozen officers at the site yesterday guarding the perimeter.

The playing fields and children's play area have remained open but the wooded path through the park is currently blocked by police tape.

A dog walker, who did not want to be named, out with her golden retriever on Clifton Drive yesterday said it could 'easily' have been her.

The woman, who is in her 50s like the victim, said: "I usually walk my dog at that time in Boxhill Park on a Thursday and it was only that I decided to go to Albert Park instead that meant I wasn't there."

She added: "I knew something had happened when I came back and saw police cars and an ambulance. I fit the description released by the police so I had friends calling to check I was okay."

She said that, while the residential area was generally peaceful, she had initially thought officers were there to deal with drugs, adding that it was not uncommon to see groups of young people and the 'heavy smell of weed'.

The victim, who was taken to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital following the attack, has since been discharged.

A woman whose 15-year-old daughter attends nearby John Mason School and lives 'minutes' from the park said: "It's not something you would expect here at all and the fact they haven't caught who did it does make you feel uneasy and I wouldn't feel comfortable with my daughter being out there."

A 51-year-old woman who lives near the Boxhill Walk entrance and uses the park as a cycle path added: "Initially it did make me think 'I'm not using it anymore' but it is such a nice park, always full of dog walkers and cyclists that it's seldom I'll go through and not bump into someone I know."

She said she was worried the attack would have a negative impact on the atmosphere in the park, saying: "With the summer holidays I think a lot of parents will be reluctant to let their children use the play area or go into the woods, which is understandable but a shame."

Helen Pighills, who represents the ward Boxhill Park is in as a town and district councillor, said: "I think it is going to play on people's minds until whoever is responsible is caught."

She added: "From my own experience though it is a very nice, quiet area and I still feel it is a safe place to go despite what has happened."

Following the release of a 17-year-old Abingdon boy, who was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police have appealed again for help to catch the attacker.

He is described as white, aged in his late teens, approximately 5ft 10ins tall and of slim build.

He was wearing black turn-up denim shorts, a light grey top and white and black trainers. He was also wearing glasses.

Investigating officer Detective Inspector Ali Driver, of Force CID based at Abingdon, said: "I appreciate that this is a concerning incident, and we are investigating to identify and locate the offender."

He said scene-watch was in placed around the wooded area, and patrols had been stepped up across Abingdon.

DI Driver added police were particularly keen to hear from anyone who was in the woodlands near Clifton Drive between 8am and midday on Thursday, or who thinks they may recognise the description of the attacker.

He said: "We will continue our high-visibility presence in the area, and you can approach and speak to any of our officers should you have any concerns.

"I would like to reiterate, that incidents such as these are rare, and we are keeping an open mind about the motive for the assault."

He urged anyone with information 'no matter how insignificant' it may seem call 101, quoting reference 434 of 19/7.