A terrified woman thwarted a sex attacker after he jumped on her in a Brighton street in the early hours of this morning (Thursday 21 July).
The man, who had been following her home, ran off when she started screaming.
Detective Inspector Lee Horner said: “We are treating this as an attempt to carry out a serious sexual assault.”
And Sussex Police urged anyone who saw the man to come forward and help their investigation.
The force said: “Police are searching for a man who attacked a woman on her way home in Brighton in the early hours of the morning.
“The man, described as white, 5ft 5in, wearing a light grey hoody and dark trousers, had been following the 20-year-old woman as she walked home along Auckland Drive, Bevendean, shortly before 1.30am.
“As she reached her own address and turned into the garden he jumped on her but she screamed and he ran off.
“She was unhurt but very shaken and nothing was stolen.”
Detective Inspector Horner said: “Although our investigation is at early stage we are treating this as an attempt to carry out a serious sexual assault.
“The woman had travelled from the city centre on the N25 night bus from North Street to the Lewes Road junction with The Avenue, where she got off and walked along the Avenue, eventually turning right into Auckland Drive.
“It was when she reached a factory area in Auckland Drive that she became aware of the man following behind her on the opposite side of the road. He got closer and closer, finally attacking her just as she got home.
“However, he could have been following her from before that point so we are asking if anyone saw a man behaving suspiciously anywhere along the route she took from the city centre.
“It is an isolated incident. There have been no previous reports of anything similar to this in the area or indeed in Brighton recently.
“This was a very frightening and distressing experience for her, and she is currently receiving support and expert counselling.
“We need to find this man as quickly as possible.”
Anyone with information is asked to phone Sussex Police on 101, email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
Brighton as become a kind of hotspot for these degenerates over the past couple of years, and one has to admit, that it is getting out of hand.
Women and young females should be allowed to carry a deterrent, such as sprays etc that they could get from the police station after registering for it that will allow them to carry without breaking any law.
I was followed from western road up to the seven dials 11.30 on a Sunday a few months ago. The man dark hair in his 20s put his hands around my neck from behind luckily some homeless people near the post office scared him off. I never walk anywhere without my jack Russell.
This is horrific but honestly I’m not surprised..4 months after moving to this area my daughter went two minutes away to the shop an didn’t come home till police found her over 4jours later,she didn’t even make it to the shop she was chased all the way up to the funplex rite by factorys its disgusting how the area seems nice an quite but its the quite ones to watch…NEVER LET UR DAUGHTERS PLAY OUT ALONE OR EVEN GO TO THE SHOPS THIS HAPPENED AT 4PMISH SO WASNT LATE AT NITE! ITS NOT SAFE THESE DAYS AN FROM AN OVER PROTECTIVE MUM ANYWAYS THIS HAS MADE ME EVEN MORE PROTECTIVE!..