A SCHOOLGIRL and a young woman have been indecently assaulted in two separate incidents.

Detectives today said they could not rule out the possibility that one man was responsible for both of the Blackburn attacks.

In the most recent incident, a 13-year-old girl was assaulted as she walked down an alley off Kings Road, Moorgate Fold, Blackburn with friends.

Acting Detective Inspector Joe Kellet, said: "A man was walking towards them and as he passed, he reached out, grabbed the young lady's breast and ran off down Kings Road.

"She was not injured, but obviously very distressed by what happened."

The attacker was white, 40, 5ft 6ins tall and wearing a white or cream denim jacket and light coloured jeans.

The assault took place at 7.15pm on Wednesday.

A 22-year-old woman was the victim of a similar offence at 8.50am on Monday.

Mr Kellet said she was walking along Oak Street, Brookhouse, Blackburn, when a man reached out and touched her thigh.

He added: "The offender in that case was a white man aged between 30 and 40. We do not know enough about the offender to link the indecent assaults, but they were certainly very similar offences."

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