Above: A still from CCTV footage of a suspect being sought in connection with a sex attack in Morecambe on New Year’s Day. The suspect is shown above the blurred square on the screen (the blur is concealing the victim).
Police are distributing dual-language posters in an appeal for fresh information following a New Year’s Day sex attack in Morecambe.
The posters, which are written in English and Polish, show CCTV stills of the suspected offender in a nightclub and walking along a street, before and after the attack.
The appeal follows a report that a woman in her forties was raped at an address in the town after meeting her alleged attacker in the Coast venue.
The alleged offender was in pirate fancy dress, and was wearing a “Tina Turner or Rod Stewart” style wig, a pirate eye patch, striped trousers and a red jacket with dark coloured shoulders and white stripes across the shoulders and down the sleeves. It is believed he may have had a foreign accent – possibly Eastern European.
In the new CCTV footage the suspect is not wearing the ‘pirate’ costume or wig that has been mentioned in previous releases.
Above: Another still from newly-released CCTV footage of a suspect being sought in connection with a sex attack in Morecambe on New Year’s Day. The suspect is shown here putting on his coat.
“Morecambe has a large Polish community so we have created the poster to get our appeal out to as wide an audience as possible,” explained Detective Sergeant Kevin Wright of Morecambe CID. “We’re also appealing for information from other Eastern European communities in the area.
“However, we are still keeping an open mind about the alleged offender’s nationality.”
Police have also released new CCTV footage from Coast, which gives a clearer view of the alleged offender. An EvoFit of the suspect was released earlier in the month (right)
DS Wright added: “We have followed up several lines of inquiry after receiving calls from the public as a result of previous images being released to the media, but we are hoping that this latest footage will prompt more people to get in touch with information.
“This has been a deeply traumatic experience for the victim and any information that the public might have could be the key to finding this man.”
• Anyone with any information is asked to call Morecambe police in 01254 63333 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.