A 13-YEAR-OLD girl was grabbed by a man who pounced out of bushes as she competed in a cross country championships.

Today dozens of competitors from the Burnley area were urged to contact police if they witnessed the incident.

The teenager was grabbed as 1,000 athletes from across the North West, including Burnley Athletics Club and Blackburn Harriers, competed in the Lancashire Athletic Association Cross Country Championships event.

Police launched a major hunt for the suspect, involving the force helicopter, dog patrols and

search teams, following the incident at Witton Park, Blackburn.

The teenager was grabbed as she ran through an area of bushes in a field north of the visitor centre on Saturday afternoon. She fought free from the man's grasp before telling her parents after crossing the finishing line.

Organisers of the Lancashire Athletic Association Cross Country Championships said they did not want to comment because a police investigation was under way.

The 13-year-old girl was among 49 runners competing in the under 13s three-kilometre run in the first Mid Lancs League athletics fixture of the season. It is a well-established route which is lined with stewards and St John Ambulance personnel.

Dawn Lock, the secretary of the league, said the league would ensure that there were an adequate number of marshals in future events, especially when it returns to Blackburn.

She added: "The second fixture is at Towneley Park, Burnley, on October 30, and it is on more open ground offering good visibility.

"The Red Rose League visits our area on Sunday with a fixture at Wilson Playing Fields, Clayton-le-Moors. Some of the area is wooded, and when I broke the news about the problem at Blackburn to the organising club, Hyndburn Athletic Club, immediately they promised to take the appropriate measures."

Detective Sergeant Gary Dunnagan, of Blackburn CID said: "The stewarding was adequate and we are not concerned about the marshalling."

He added that the girl had been on her own in the middle of the field of runners. Shortly after she wriggled free, a group of runners passed through but did not see anything suspicious.

The girl said the man was 6ft tall, white, with a blotchy complexion and was wearing a black woolly hat, sunglasses, a black puffa-style jacket, dark trousers and black and white trainers.

Mike Linaker, membership secretary of Burnley Athletics Club said he had heard about the attack, but was unable to comment further.

Call Blackburn CID on 01254 353569 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.