A SEX fiend attacked a teenage girl in the street after befriending her while she was on a night out in Blackburn town centre.

Police said the 17-year-old victim was pounced on close to some benches, in a secluded area near Museum Street.

Detective Inspector Jim Elston said the victim had begun talking to the man in the Grapes Hotel, Northgate, while she was enjoying a night out with friends.

The man led the girl, who is from the Preston area, out of the pub after saying he would help find her friends who had gone to buy pizzas.

But instead of heading towards the takeaways in Northgate he led her up Richmond Terrace towards the rear of O'Neil's Irish Bar.

He then subjected her to a violent and serious sexual assault around 2am on Saturday.

Mr Elston said the girl then walked down King William Street and turned left into New Market Street where she saw her friends and raised the alarm. Her attacker was still in the vicinity at the time but then made off.

Police were today analysing CCTV footage from the area.

Detective Sergeant Paul Elms said the attacker was an Asian male, 5ft 9ins to 5ft 11ins, of average build with muscular arms. He had short black hair shaved at the sides and slightly long and spikey on top, protruding or "goofy", overlapping teeth and a small, fashionable goatee beard.

Mr Elston said: "The girl, who was from the Preston area, was on a night out in Blackburn with friends when the serious sexual assault occurred.

"She was in the Grapes, in Northgate, when she struck up conversation with this male. Her friends left the pub and she agreed to walk with him to catch them up.

"She was taken on a route unfamiliar with her down Richmond Terrace and Museum Street to a quadrant that has benches, where the assault happened.

"Afterwards she walked down the pedestrianised King William Street before turning left when she came to Marks and Spencers.

"On this road she saw her friends and some other white males and raised the alarm. She became quite hysterical at this point and her attacker who was still in the vicinity made off in the commotion.

"The Asian male is being treated as a suspect and we would urge him to contact us to put his side of the story down or any other persons who know him to contact us.

"We would also like the group of white males who went to help her when she raised the alarm to contact us as well."

DS Elms said: "She is extremely upset and shocked as are all her friends."

The attack is the second alleged sexual assault on a clubber in Blackburn this month. On June 6, a 35-year-old woman claimed a man, who she met at a nightclub in Preston, tried to attack her at a flat in Johnston Street, Blackburn.

The two incidents are not thought to be connected. Witnesses to the latest incident are asked to contact Blackburn CID on 01254 353563.