POLICE are hunting a man who grabbed a teenager as she was walking home and subjected her to a serious sexual assault.

The 13-year-old had been playing with friends and was walking home in Lowerhouse Lane, Burnley, at 9pm on Friday.

She was grabbed by a man who had been walking in the opposite direction.

DS Pete Simm said: "We are treating this incident as an isolated one but we are extremely anxious to catch the man responsible for this attack, which was of a serious nature."

The girl was pushed into a back yard near Greenbrook Road where the attack took place.

House-to-house inquires have already been carried out and police are appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time to come forward.

The man is described as white, in his late 30s to early 40s, 5ft 8ins to 5ft 9ins, clean shaven with a ruddy complexion.

He was wearing a black woollen hat, a black leather zip-up jacket and blue jeans.

The incident is not being linked to a series of serious sexual assaults in the Padiham Road area since August 1998.

Anyone with information can contact Burnley CID on 01282 472140 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.