POLICE are hunting a man who sexually intimidated a teenage girl as she made her way to a friend's house.

The 18-year-old victim was walking along Broad Oak Road, Parr, at about 8pm on Monday, February 26, when she spotted the man at a bus stop opposite Mendip Grove.

He then crossed over and started following the frightened teenager along Broad Oak Road and into Newton Road. During this time, he made a number of sexual suggestions, which caused the girl to fear for her safety.

Eventually she managed to shake off her pursuer by running across Newton Road and into the Horseshoe pub where she stayed for 10 minutes before heading to her friend's house in nearby Cotswold Grove.

Police are anxious to trace the man and Detective Inspector Jon Dawson of St Helens police said: "Anyone who may have seen this man harassing the teenager should contact us as soon as possible. Any small amount of information may be of great value to us."

He added: "If a woman walking on her own feels threatened by someone she should head towards a public area. In the event of that not being available, she should knock on someone's door and explain the situation. If anybody suffers an experience like this they should tell the police, as it may help us build up a pattern if there have been any other similar offences."

The man who stalked and intimidated the young woman as she walked along Broad Oak Road is described as a white male, early twenties, 6ft 1in tall, with a slim build and short red hair. He was wearing a purple fleece jacket and spoke with a local accent.

ANYONE who may have seen a man harassing a young woman in Broad Oak Road on Monday night, or who thinks they know someone who fits the description of the offender, should contact DC Atkinson, or the Crime Management Unit at St Helens police station on 0151 777 6050. Those who would prefer to remain anonymous should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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