A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a woman was found unconscious early in the morning in Suffolk.

The victim, Anita Rose, remains in a critical condition in hospital having sustained a serious head injury, Suffolk Police said.

Officers were called by the East of England Ambulance Service to reports a woman had been found injured and unconscious on a track near Rectory Lane, Brantham shortly after 8am on Wednesday, the force said.

Ms Rose, 57, had left her house around 5am to take her springer spaniel dog, named Bruce, for a walk.

She was found by a member of the public lying on a track road near the sewage works and railway line around 6.25am, and an ambulance was called.

The victim was then taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

Suffolk Police had released an image of Ms Rose on Friday, taken on the morning of the incident from a doorbell camera, in an appeal to trace her mobile phone and a pink zip-up jacket.

A 45-year-old man from the Ipswich area was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of attempted murder and is currently being questioned at a local force investigation centre.

It is not believed by police at this time that the suspect was known to the victim.

Detective Superintendent Mike Brown said: “We are still looking to establish the exact circumstances leading to this incident, but our initial inquiries are under way, and these will continue over the weekend.

“We continue to be extremely grateful for the support the community and the media have given us so far.

“This assistance we receive is absolutely key.”

A presence of officers will likely continue in the area for the next few days with reassurance patrols conducting house-to-house inquiries, searching CCTV footage and continuing ongoing forensic work, Mr Brown said.

Anyone who saw any suspicious behaviour in the area or has any knowledge of the incident that could help police with their inquiries has been asked to contact Suffolk Police, quoting 37/41580/24, or get in touch anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.