A would-be robber hit his female victim with a metal POLE as she tried to escape his grasp.
The horrifying incident happened in Dalton on Wednesday morning.
Detectives are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the attack on Standiforth Road at around 9.10am to get in touch.
The victim, a woman in her 40s, was walking along the road when a man described as around 18 to 19-years-old approached her and grabbed her handbag.
The two got into a struggle as the woman tried to run away. The man then lashed out at the woman, striking her on the leg with a metal pole.
The man then made off in the direction of Grand Cross Road. Nothing was stolen in the attempted robbery and the woman was not seriously hurt, said a spokesman for West Yorkshire Police.
The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 18 to 19-years-old, who is of slim build and was wearing a grey tracksuit top and navy tracksuit bottoms.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact PC Paul Jackson at Huddersfield CID via 101 quoting crime reference number 13170319055 or alternatively contact Crimestoppers, anonymously if necessary, on 0800 555 111.
