Thornaby Attack - Key Witnesses Identified

A week after a 43 year old woman was attacked as she walked her dog next to the River Tees, police say they are making good progress with their inquiries.

Officers have identified and spoken to a number of key witnesses who were in the area at the time and they are grateful for the valuable information these people have provided.

Detective Inspector Matt Murphy-King says that there are two more people he would like to speak to however, as they may have information which could help:

The first is an Asian man of slim build, with curly longish brown hair. He is around 43 years old, 5’7” to 5’8” tall, and he had a short beard and moustache. This man was wearing ice blue jeans with a chequered shirt which had red in it. He was walking on his own.

The second is a white man in a short sleeved yellow top with a collar. He had dark shaved hair and was of stocky build. Both these men were in the area around the time of the attack.

Det Insp Murphy-King added:

“I would also appeal for any residents in the Thornaby Green, Richardson Road, Pottery Wharf and surrounding areas who have private CCTV systems to come forward. Their cameras may well have captured something relevant to the investigation. I would urge them to preserve any footage until a member of the investigation team assesses and collects it.

At the end of last week we released details of the injuries which the suspect sustained as the victim bravely fought him off. I would again appeal for anyone who has seen a head injury, a bite mark and scratches on someone they know to tell police as soon as they can.”

The victim continues to recover from her ordeal with the support of her partner, her family and specially trained police officers.

All information can be passed to Cleveland Police via the 101 number, or anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org