Police encountered a man who “grabbed a woman from behind and attempted to rape her” in Newham

Detectives are urgently trying to find a man who tried to rape a woman in West Ham. The 30-year-old woman was approached by the stranger at around 10.30pm on Saturday 1 June in Paul Street, E15, close to the junction with West Ham Lane. An image was released today (June 20) after inquiries so far have failed to locate the suspect.

The man approached the woman, then followed her, before grabbing her from behind and attempting to rape her. The police arrived at the scene within minutes, but the man left the area.

He is believed to have run off Paul Street in the direction of West Ham Lane following the woman’s screams for help. He is described as white, 5ft 8 in height and of medium build with dark hair and a beard.

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He was wearing a casual denim jacket, a dark v-neck T-shirt and dark pants. Met police officers carried out a series of inquiries following the attack, including an extensive CCTV trawl to release the image at the top of this article, and spoke to witnesses.

Detective Chief Inspector Jonathan Burks, who is overseeing the investigation, said: “I want to reassure people, our officers are working around the clock to identify the man responsible for this horrific incident. We have dedicated specialist officers who support the victim during this traumatic time.

“Our local officers will be around to speak to the community about any concerns they may have and we urge anyone who recognizes this man or has information that could assist police to get in touch immediately.”

A Met spokesman added: “If you were in the area of ​​Paul Street, E15 at 10.30pm on Saturday 1 June, or have any information which could help the police, then please call 101 or ‘X’ @MetCC and quote reference CAD 7635/01Jun24 You can also provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

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