Man arrested after teenage girl sexually assaulted in Darwen
Police are appealing for witnesses
Lancashire Police have arrested a man after a teenage girl was sexually assaulted in Darwen.
The victim was walking along Bolton Road, close to Ashton Park, at 12.01am on Sunday (June 25) when she was approached by a man from behind. He grabbed her and sexually assaulted her. The victim managed to fight him off and the suspect ran off in the direction of Darwen town centre.
Following enquiries, a 39-year-old man from Buckshaw Village has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and failing to provide a breath test. He remains in custody at this time.
Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses and are particularly asking motorists to check their dashcam footage to see if they captured a teenage girl wearing a black and white dress walking along Bolton Road, near to The Spinners, around midnight.
DS Sarah Tucker, of East CID, said: “This was an appalling offence committed against a teenage girl. This must have been a terrifying experience for her and she is being supported by officers.
“Although we have made an arrest our enquiries are very much ongoing. I would ask any witnesses or anybody who has any form of footage covering the Bolton Road area, particularly close to The Spinners, to please check to see if they have captured anything which could assist our enquiries.
“Incidents like this are rare but I know it will cause some concern in the community. I want to reassure residents that we have a dedicated team of officers assigned to this case and we have increased patrols in the area as a precaution.”
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