Park assaults may be linked

From the Echo, first published Tuesday 21st Oct 2003.

TWO girls - one aged 11 and the other 17 - were grabbed and attacked in neighbouring Bournemouth parks within the space of three hours, police have revealed.

The younger girl was making her way home from school when she was assaulted in King's Park, Boscombe, between 2.30pm and 2.55pm on Friday. The second girl was walking through Queen's Park between 5.45pm and 6pm when she was subjected to an indecent assault.

Both girls gave a similar description of their assailant and police are keeping an open mind over whether the same man carried out both attacks.

The 11-year-old was walking along a path near a wooded area towards the football stadium when she was approached by the man, who grabbed her and threatened her.

"She had the presence of mind to scream and the man ran off through King's Park towards Pokesdown," said Detective Constable Wayne Seymour of Bournemouth CID.

Three hours later and about a mile away, the teenage girl was approached by a man who grabbed her and indecently exposed himself. She managed to break free and run off as he escaped towards Harewood Avenue.

The girls each described their attacker as white, around 5ft 6ins tall, in his thirties and with a shaved head. In the first incident, the assailant was wearing a blue jumper and dark jogging bottoms, but in the second, he was wearing a black top.

DC Seymour said: "We are treating these two incidents very seriously. We are keeping an open mind as to whether they are linked, but the descriptions of the men involved are very similar.

"I'm very keen to hear from anyone who witnessed either of these two incidents, from anyone who recalls seeing the attackers running away, or from anyone who recognises the descriptions."

He urged anyone with information, including any sightings of suspicious men or vehicles in the King's Park or Queen's Park area, to contact the police on 01202 222500 or the free, anonymous Crimestop-pers line on 0800 555 111.

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