Women warned to be on guard

By Safira Ali

Last updated 11:47, Friday, 29 August 2008

POLICE investigating two sex attacks and a thwarted sexual assault have repeated their warning for women in Workington to be on their guard.

A 16-year-old girl was attacked on Thursday, July 31, on Mossbay Road while an attempt was made to sexually assault another girl on Monday, August 11, on Hunter Street.

A 22-year-old man from Manchester was arrested earlier this week, and subsequently bailed, on suspicion of raping a woman in another attack at Headlands Close.

Detectives say they are not connecting this assault, which happened on August 16, to the other two.

They stress they are still asking people to come forward with information about any of the incidents.

In the first attack, carried out between 10pm and 10.30pm, the attacker talked to his victim before dragging her off the road and behind nearby bushes.

The second incident – an attempted sex attack – involved a 16-year-old girl who was walking home from work at about 4am.

She managed to escape. Police have not ruled out a link between these two incidents.

They are advising women to be vigilant and take extra steps to ensure their safety.

Detective Superintendent Cath Thundercloud said: “In addition to the dedicated team of over 30 detectives who are working in these cases, we have increased high-visibility police patrols around Workington to reassure the community and provide a visible presence.

“It is extremely rare for two incidents of this nature to occur just over a mile apart in an area such as Workington.”

Police are warning women to be careful and follow some simple safety tips:

Be aware of what’s going on around you and ensure you are in the company of others wherever possible, particularly in the hours of darkness;

When going out think ahead, plan your journey, keep to well-lit areas and, if possible, ensure you have a charged mobile phone;

Let someone know where you are going, the route you intend to take home, and when you expect to return.