THE VICAR of a church close to where a young girl suffered a horrific sexual attack has spoken out about the sense of fear in the community.

And the Reverend Simon Bessant, Vicar of the Church of the Redeemer on Old Bank Lane, Shadsworth, has called for improvements to the path where the assault took place.

"Anyone walking up the path is a sitting target," said Reverend Bessant. "It's like a jungle out there. Anyone could hide in those bushes and not be seen.

"The undergrowth should be cleared away and proper street lighting installed. There's a real sense of fear in the community now and it's tragic that people can't walk in safety at night."

Meanwhile, police are still hunting the attacker of a 15-year-old girl as she took a short cut across wasteland between Old Bank Road and Queens Park estate on Friday at 7.25pm.

The attacker, who had his face partially covered with a black scarf, dragged the girl into nearby grass land after he approached her to ask the time.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Neil Smith said: "This was a serious sexual assault on an innocent girl. We're warning women not to take such short cuts while this man is still on the loose."

The offender is described as 5ft 8inches tall, slightly built and aged about 22. He was wearing blue jeans, a black hip length jacket and a dark blue or black sweatshirt.

If you think you have information, ring Blackburn Police on 51212.

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