AN APPEAL has been issued after a 15-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in Radcliffe.

Between 8pm and 8.10pm on Thursday 8 September 2016, the girl was waiting for a bus on Church Street East when she was approached by a man, who engaged her in conversation.

He asked the girl for a kiss, to which she refused, and then sexually assaulted her. The girl ran away distressed and police were alerted.

Detectives have now released this image of a man they want to speak to in connection with the incident.

The man is described as black, in his early 20s, 5ft 5in to 5ft 6in tall, with black hair with a blonde streak running through it. He was dressed in black and was carrying a gym bag.

Detective Constable Lucy Bamber of GMP’s Bury Borough said: “People will be understandably concerned and I assure you that we have dedicated detectives working to catch the offender and extra officers on patrol in the area.

“We are offering the girl specialist support at this difficult time; help and support will always be there for people who come forward and report sexual offences.

“I understand this happened some time ago, but our investigation has been ongoing and we now have an image to release.

“If you recognise the man in the image, I would urge you to get in touch with police as a matter of urgency.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 8223 or 101, quoting incident number 2167 of September 8, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

- If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted you can call Greater Manchester Police on 101, or alternatively people can refer themselves to St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre on 0161 276 6515, whether or not you want make a police report.