Angry smoker breaks woman's jaw

A woman who asked a man to stop smoking in a take-away restaurant in Dorset suffered a broken jaw when he hit her.

Ginnine Lagerwaard, from Weymouth, was attacked by the smoker inside the Surfside Diner in New Street, near The Esplanade in Weymouth on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old was taken to Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester and later transferred to Poole Hospital.

She spent three days having a plate inserted in her jaw to repair the damage, said police.

The victim politely asked him to stop and without warning he punched her Pc Dave Thorne

Pc Dave Thorne, from Dorset Police, said: "This was a particularly nasty and unprovoked assault that has left the victim badly injured and I'm very keen to find the cowardly man responsible.

"Ginnine saw her unknown attacker inside the fast food outlet and he was speaking with someone she knew.

"He lit up a cigarette and the victim politely asked him to stop.

"A few minutes later, the man asked Ginnine to step outside and when she did so he viciously and without warning punched her in the cheek breaking her jaw.

"I'd urge anyone who witnessed this assault and anyone else with any information that might help me identify the man responsible to contact the police urgently and in confidence."