As the dark nights set in and the risk of being attacked in the street increases, a new book shows women everywhere how to defend themselves. Women's Editor Christen Pears reports.

IT'S late at night and you're walking out of the station when a menacing figure looms out of the shadows. He's got his eye on your handbag. You can't run because you're wearing that pair of ridiculously high heels you bought at the weekend and there's no one around to help. What do you do?

Most of us would panic but a new book, Kung Fu For Girls, shows how to deal with every threatening situation, whether putting a mugger out of action or deterring a drunken letch in the bar.

Written by martial arts coach and trainer Simon Harrison, it is light-hearted in tone but has a serious message and covers everything from stance and guard positions to anti-knife techniques and beating an attacker with your mobile.

Simon says: "I was absolutely amazed by the number of people who said they had been mugged. There's so much street violence about it's becoming quite a serious problem.

"A lot of it has to do with hi-tech gadgetry like mobile phones and gadgetry. People see them and want to steal them. Also, if you're using your phone, you're far less aware of your surroundings and that makes you an easy target."

Simon, who runs a series of self-defence classes in London, also works as a graphic artist and decided to combine the two skills to produce a self-defence book aimed at women. Divided into four main sections, it deals with basics, tools, techniques and moves to help keep yourself safe.

Simon says: "Men are usually heavier than women. I only weigh nine stones myself so I have to rely on technique. I wanted to put down what I have learned and relate it to self-defence for women. The key to self-defence is simplicity. I wanted something a person could use immediately and even if you've only got the technique 50 per cent right, it's better than nothing."

One of the keys to self-defence is awareness and not making yourself vulnerable to attack in the first place. Try not to look afraid or nervous, make sure you pay attention to your surroundings and the possible dangers.

"Most attacks are by opportunists. They're cowardly and they go for an easy target. If someone looks aware, they will usually look for another target. That's not always the case but it's a general rule. "

But if you do find yourself confronted on the street, remember that a moving target is more difficult to hit - turn around and run away.

If you can't run, there are plenty of ways to defend yourself. Your handbag contains a surprising number of weapons. Grip your keys so they protrude from between your fingers and use them to jab, scratch and gouge. Lipsticks and mascara can be used to stab at an attacker's eyes and throat, while hurling a handful of change into his face may give you the opportunity you need to escape. Stilettos, although not practical for running, can be effective if aimed at the feet, shins, knees and groin. Elbows, knees, even your bottom can be used to knock an attacker off balance.

It may take a while to master the techniques but, according to Simon, practice can be fun, and once the moves have become second nature, you're prepared for anything.

But if you don't have the time to practice, Simon has one invaluable piece of advice: "If someone attacks you, try and kick him in the groin and not just once. That's the most painful place you can kick a man and its quite easy to do it. If you remember only one thing, remember that."

* Kung Fu For Girls by Simon Harrison, Ebury Press £6.99.

* For more information about martial arts, visit www.bccma.com, the official governing body for Chinese martial arts in the UK.