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12-year-old girl punches suspected attacker in the face and runs away

Police are seeking the man and have issued a photo-fit

Jon Stone
Tuesday 07 April 2015 08:12 BST
The man is pictured wearing silver-framed glasses with an orange or brown tint to the lenses.
The man is pictured wearing silver-framed glasses with an orange or brown tint to the lenses.

A 12-year-old girl has fought off a suspected attacker by punching him in the face, according to the police.

The girl was walking home from school at 4pm on 25 March, along Moss Lane in Sale, Greater Manchester, when she was grabbed by a man, Greater Manchester Police said.

A police spokesperson said the girl initially ripped herself away from the man but when he tried to grab her arm again she punched him in the face and ran away.

“This young girl has been very brave and worked with our forensic imaging specialists to relive what she went through and produce an accurate image of what he looked like,” Detective Constable Dan Hayes of Greater Manchester Police said.

Police have issued an artist’s impression of the man, described as in his late 50s, white, with a large build and short, greying hair.

He is pictured wearing silver-framed glasses with an orange or brown tint to the lenses.

GMP say he was wearing a black bomber-style jacket, a white polo t-shirt, loose-fitting blue jeans and black shoes.

He had a local mancunian accent.

"We do not know what this man's intentions were and that is why we are taking this incident very seriously and doing all we can to apprehend this man,” Constable Hayes added.

"I would ask people to look carefully at this image and if you do recognise this man, or see him hanging around the area, please call us.”

Anyone with information should phone police on 0161 856 7530 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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