Appeal after woman sexually assaulted
Additional patrols are being carried out following a sexual assault on a woman in Bristol on Monday 17 June.
The woman, who is in her 40s, was in the Stapleton area when she was approached by a man who asked for directions towards Blackberry Hill when she was walking along Frome Valley Walkway. She pointed him in the right direction before continuing on her way.
However, moments later he followed her along Wickham Glen, in the direction of Park Road, where he sexually assaulted her at about 1pm.
Afterwards, she was able to reach Park Road and alert a member of the public about what happened.
Enquiries to identify the man responsible are ongoing.
Neighbourhood Chief Inspector Vicks Hayward-Melen said: “A thorough investigation into this sexual assault is underway and we would please ask anyone with information – or anyone who may have been a victim of a similar offence and not reported it to us – to contact us.
“The suspect is described as Black, about 6ft, in his late-20s or early-30s, of slim build and with short Afro-style hair.
“The local neighbourhood team are increasing high-visibility patrols in the area to provide reassurance and to help answer any concerns members of the public may have.
“We are committed to making the streets of Bristol as safe as they can be and would like to remind women we run Walk and Talk sessions across the city, where they can go out with female officers and PCSOs and share their experiences or worries with us to help achieve that aim.”
Anyone who can assist our enquires is asked to contact us online or call 101 and quote reference number 5224156250.
Anyone interested in booking a ‘walk and talk’ can find out more and register here.
Members of the public are also encouraged to report areas in which they feel unsafe via StreetSafe. People can report either environmental or behavioural issues in their local communities that lead to them feeling vulnerable or unsafe which will be fed back to the police to look at what they can do, along with partner agencies, to improve women’s safety on our streets.
If you can help, please call 101 and give the call handler the reference number 5224156250, or complete our online appeals form.