An aggressive crow has been harassing a cleaning lady in a town near Belfort in the east of France. Authorities have decided to hunt the bird down.

"I don't dare leave the house, and when I do, I always have a knife with me," said 45-year-old Patricia Gasser in an interview with the daily Paris Normandie.

"I don’t eat anymore, I can’t sleep, and I can’t bear it any longer."

Gasser said a large black crow is following her around and has attacked her four times since June.  

"Once I was going to work, driving in my car with the window down," says Gasser.

"It nosedived into the car, gripped my arm and fought with me until I managed to push it out." 

The mother-of-four said the crow usually attacks her in the morning and when she is alone.

Belfort authorities have decided to shoot the bird but have found it difficult to track down the avian attacker. 

On Wednesday, authorities agreed to step up the hunt to kill the crow.

In a statement, town officials said they would do everything in their power "to enable the person under threat to rediscover her tranquility as quickly as possible."