Late-night revellers and bar staff may hold vital clues in the investigation into two sexual assaults in York, detectives have said.
The two incidents took place in the area around North Street near to the Park Inn in the early hours of last Thursday (July 13) and Saturday (July 15).
That is an area with a popular late-night bar and club scene.
Detectives are still working to establish whether there is a link between the two assaults.
They want to trace a man and a woman who were in the area at the time and may have important information.
As part of their investigations, police are today continuing to gather and review CCTV and carry out enquiries in the area.
On their way home
Detective Inspector Mark Pearson, who is leading the investigation, urged potential witnesses to think hard about what they might have seen. He said:
I’d appeal to these people in particular to carefully jog their memories of the dates in question – the early hours of last Thursday and Saturday.
Think about whether you saw anything that could help our investigations – a man matching the description of the attacker, someone behaving strangely or someone who could have been in distress.
It may seem insignificant to you – but it could be vital to us.
Attacked by the river
A woman was sexually assaulted after leaving a city centre nightclub in the early hours of Thursday.
Police are still investigating the exact circumstances of events surrounding the incident including the precise location of the attack.
In a second incident, a woman was sexually assaulted as she walked along the riverside path between Bridge Street and the Park Inn.
She ran off following the incident, which happened between 12.30 to 12.45am on Saturday (July 15).
Police have issued this description of her attacker.
Have you seen him?
The suspect is…
of Asian appearance | |
in his 30s | |
around 5ft 6ins to 5ft 7ins tall | |
with a shaved head with a prominent hairline |
He was wearing
a dark jacket | |
dark trousers | |
and white trainers | |
and had a bike with white colouring |
After the attack a man and woman, who police believe are not connected to the incident, walked past the victim near a walled garden area next to the Park Inn.
Officers are keen to trace these people, as they believe they may have important information.
How to stay safe
DI Pearson said: “If you go out at night always take precautionary steps to stay safe, such as staying with friends, sticking to well-lit streets and being aware of who is around you.
“As ever, I’d remind anyone who’s going out in York or any other town or city centre to always keep this advice in mind and if you feel uncomfortable or threatened by a situation, head for a safe place or dial 999 in an emergency.”
Anyone with information about either incident is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police.
How to help the police
Call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for York Serious Crime Team | |
Or call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 |
Quote reference number 12170122739 (first incident) / 12170124262 (second incident) |