Reading: Extra Patrols After Sexual Assaults

10 March 2014, 07:20 | Updated: 10 March 2014, 07:26

Police are telling us they think two sexual assaults in Reading may be linked

The first case happened when a 25-year-old woman was approached by an unknown man whilst walking along Oxford Road at around 5.30am.

The man then became aggressive and pulled the woman into a nearby alleyway, opposite the McDonald’s fast food restaurant, and sexually assaulted her as well as stealing her handbag.

Around an hour later at 6.24am a 22-year-old woman who lived in flats in the Oxford Road area reported a man buzzing on her intercom. When she went outside to challenge who was doing it, she was confronted by a man who made threats towards her.

Then at around 6.55am a 27-year-old woman was cycling along Swansea Road, when a man approached her on a bike and started following her and attempted to talk to her and get her to stop.

The man began shouting at the woman and she got back on her back and cycled to the main road where she met with friends.

The man in both incidents is described as Asian, 5ft 10ins, and in his mid twenties.

Det Insp Sarah Grahame said: “This was obviously a traumatic ordeal for the women involved and thankfully they only sustained minor injuries in the incidents.

“Officers carried out enquiries around the area yesterday morning following the report of the first incident, but the second incident only came to light much later in the day.

“A lot of work is being undertaken to trace the suspect and bring him into custody and I would urge anyone who was in the area around this time, who may have seen something, to come forward and speak with us as soon as possible.

“We do believe at this time that these incidents are linked.

“Additional patrols have been put in place in the area to offer reassurance to local residents and if anyone has any concerns they should speak with officers who can help to address these.”