Bid to find man who assaulted two schoolgirls in town park
TWO schoolgirls were sexually assaulted in a busy park. The incident happened on Monday, January 26 at around 5.30pm when the two teenage girls were walking a dog in Bedford Park in Southport.
They were then allegedly touched inappropriately by a man before he then ran off towards Kew Road.
The offender is described as white, of a slim build with long brown hair.
Both victims are uninjured but have been left shaken by the incident.
Detectives have now opened a full investigation, including witness and CCTV enquiries.
Detective inspector Matt Kerr said: “This is a disgraceful attack on two teenage girls, and I would like to reassure the public that incidents such as this are rare. Both victims are very shaken by this ordeal.
“We are taking this incident extremely seriously and are working hard to identify the offender.
“We are carrying out extensive enquiries in the area including obtaining CCTV footage that may have captured the incident.
“We urge any witnesses who were in the area at the time to contact us so they can help with our enquiries in order to catch the offender and bring them to justice.
“Providing support to victims of sexual assault has never been more important, and I would encourage anyone experiencing this to report it to us and we will support you every way we can.
“If anyone who has suffered a sexual offence and you can find the courage to come forward and speak to us, we will deal with you sensitively and make sure that reports are thoroughly investigated.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident or who has information that could help with inquiries is asked to DM @ MerPolCC, message ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre on Facebook’ or @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111 with reference 0776 of 24 January.
Anyone with information or who wants to report a sexual offence is asked to call 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Support for victims is also available through the registered charity the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre Cheshire and Merseyside, who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063 or Rape and Sexual Assault Merseyside (RASA) on 0151 558 1801. In an emergency, always call 999.
For women who have felt or feel unsafe in public spaces the Home Office has set up a pilot service (StreetSafe | Police.uk (www.police.uk) for anyone to anonymously report public places where they have felt or feel unsafe, because of environmental issues, eg street lighting, abandoned buildings or vandalism and/or because of some behaviours, eg being followed or verbally abused.
Please note: ‘StreetSafe’ is not for reporting crime or incidents.
If something has happened to you or someone you know (including in public spaces online) you can call 101 or find out what online reporting services are available at StreetSafe | Police.uk (www.police.uk).
A MAN, 22, has been told he is not old enough to rent a flat.
The 22-year-old from Southport was discouraged after his hunt for a flat turned sour after he has constantly been let down.
His mum initially posted on Facebook about the situation.
She said that her son graduated in June and has a full-time job in the town but has been struggling to find somewhere to live since August.
She also claimed that estate agents have ignored him when registering his details for properties or being told that a viewing had been cancelled because they’re looking for “someone over 25/30”.
The mum posted in a local group, Friends of Southport, looking for recommendations for one-bed flats that are available or will be in the near future.
She posted: “I’ve asked this before but if anyone knows of any one-bed flats in Southport that are available or coming available would you let me know.
“My son is nearly 23, just graduated in June, got a fulltime job in Southport in August and keeps either being ignored by agents when he registers his details or as today, let down at the last minute for a viewing we were all set to go to tonight and they’ve just text.
“It’s cancelled as ‘they want someone over 25/30’. I can’t believe how hard this is for him.”
People were quick to comment on the post, with one person about to go through the same dilemma with their own child.
They wrote: “Daughter is just about to go through the same in a couple of months and it’s crazy how hard it is for younger people. I’ve seen people ask on the Nextdoor app locally for properties and have been helped out. Good luck hope he gets sorted.”
Another person commented: “Hard for single parents too. My daughter found that couples got the viewings before she did and was told by one agent that she needed to come for an interview to see if she were ‘eligible’ to rent one of their properties. She has references to prove she has always paid her rent for 14 years.”