POLICE in Burnley have renewed their plea for help in finding a man who they believe carried out a serious sexual assault on a teenage girl nearly six months ago.

The victim, who was 16 at the time of the attack in the early hours of August 28, has recently seen the man in the town.

The girl had just got out of a taxi and was walking in a ginnel between Wellfield Road and Harefield Rise, in Ightenhill, Burnley, at about 1.15am when she was attacked.

He grabbed her by the arm and attempted to kiss her. He then forced her to the floor and continued to carry out a sexual assault before she managed to struggle free. The offender then ran off towards the main road.

He is described as aged 19 or 20, 6ft with a fair complexion and dark brown hair in a short back and sides style, with the front gelled forward. He has an athletic build. At the time of the attack he smelled of alcohol and was wearing a navy or black long-sleeved shirt with a white name printed on the chest pocket and dark pin-striped trousers with a belt. He was also wearing a gold St Christopher pendant on a necklace.

DC Nicola Wignall described the incident as a serious sexual assault on a young girl and asked for anyone with information which could help police inquiries to contact her at Burnley police station on 01282 425001.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.