Man held over two sexual assaults in Brighton

A man has been arrested on suspiciously of sexually assaulting two women in Brighton.

Sussex Police said: “The 21-year-old local man was arrested on Sunday 3 February by officers investigating two assaults on women in the city in the early hours of the previous day.

“He is also being interviewed about four previous similar assaults over the past three months.”

The two most recent incidents happened within hours of each other early on Saturday morning (2 February).

At about 12.25am a 26-year-old woman was walking home in Roundhill Crescent, Brighton, when a man grabbed her from behind and carried out a brief sexual assault over her clothing.

She was unhurt and told him to go away, and he ran off.

He was described as being of mixed race, aged in his early thirties, 5ft 7in to 5ft 10in, of average build, with short dark hair and stubble. He was wearing a short beige jacket

At about 4.20am another 26-year-old woman was walking home from work along London Road in Brighton when a man jumped on her from behind just after the junction with North Road.

Again the woman was sexually assaulted over her clothing.

A passing taxi driver asked if she was alright and the man disappeared.

Moments later the suspect approached her again as she was just a few hundred yards further north along London Road.

He jumped on her but she ran off, seeking the aid of a passing couple. She walked with them as far as the Hobgoblin pub.

The assailant in this incident was described as a slim built Asian man, in his early twenties, with dark longish hair on top but short on the sides.

He was wearing a waist-length hoody or anorak jacket.

Both women were severely shaken but unhurt.

Detective Inspector Steve Warner said: “We would like to talk to anyone who saw what happened or who was approached by a man of similar description in the city centre in the early hours of Saturday.

“We would particularly like to talk to the taxi driver and the couple who were in London Road and who may not have appreciated exactly what was happening at the time.”

Previous similar incidents took place in November, December and last month.

The first was near by in Upper Hollingdean Road, Brighton, at about 7.35am on Sunday 18 November when a man indecently touched a 26-year-old woman jogger.

She shouted at him and he walked away.

Detectives believe this may also be the same man who minutes earlier on Sunday 18 November tried unsuccessfully to steal from a woman on the eastern pathway of The Level.

Just after midnight on Saturday 8 December a 21-year-old student on her way home was walking into Hollingdean Road from the Vogue Gyratory.

She had just got off a bus outside Sainsbury’s when a man approached and indecently touched her before running off.

Just before 8pm on Thursday 3 January a man was seen to approach two separate women who were walking along Union Road, Brighton.

As he ran past both he sexually assaulted both over their clothing and ran off in the direction of Lewes Road.

At 2.30am on Thursday 17 January a woman was walking past Machine Mart in Lewes Road on her way to a friend’s house when she was similarly sexually assaulted.

The man was described as in his mid-twenties with olive skin, wearing a long dark coat.

Nothing was stolen in any of the incidents.

Anyone who can help is asked to call Sussex Police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.