Police are urgently hunting a 'violent offender' after a woman was sexually assaulted in southwest London. The woman was subjected to a 'serious' attack in West Barnes shortly before midnight on Thursday.
Police appeal for information
Scotland Yard said 'urgent enquiries are ongoing and the local community can expect to see an increased police presence over the next few days'. No arrests have yet been made.
DCI Rebecca Roberts, who leads the rape and serious sexual assault teams in southwest London, said: 'My teams are doing all they can to identify and apprehend this violent offender.'
Description of suspect
Police are seeking a man described as being approximately 5ft 9”, approximate age 30, with brown, medium to long hair and brown eyes. He was wearing jeans, a belt with a gold belt buckle, black trainers, and a black padded coat. He was described as speaking with an accent and could be of West Asian or Eastern European heritage.
The man was wearing a white helmet and was riding a pedal-assisted e-bike with a green/black delivery box on the rear.
Community reassurance
DCI Roberts added: 'I would encourage anyone who remembers seeing anything out of the ordinary near Meadowsweet Close or the nearby playing fields to come forward to police. Any piece of information could be vital to our investigation.'
'We understand incidents of this nature cause significant concern within the community, and we are deploying additional officers in the area to provide reassurance and support.'
Anyone with information is urged to speak to the police, or to pass it on anonymously to Crimestoppers.
