TWO teenage girls ran off in terror when a man jumped out of a back alley and tried to grab them.

Rosemaire Airey, 17, and Julie Hind, 18, had been walking a friend home and were near the Butty Shop in Stanley Street, Accrington, at 2.25am when the man approached.

Julie, of Whalley Road, Accrington, said: "He came out of nowhere and I didn't see him at first, but Rosemaire started screaming and ran off.

"I just froze to the spot and he was walking towards me with his arms open.

"Then I realised what was going on and tried to dodge him."

The girls fled to Rosemaire's home across the road and her mum, Grace, contacted the police. The man was aged about 40, had whiskers on his tanned face and was wearing a brown leather jacket and light blue jeans.

His hair was dark brown in colour, fairly long at the back and slightly wavy.

Julie said: "I used to go out on my own without thinking about it, but I won't be doing that now.

"I was really scared."

Rosemaire's mum added: "Julie stayed the night here and both girls were really shaken and didn't get any sleep.

"You don't realise this kind of thing can so easily happen to your own daughter.

"If one of the girls had been on her own I don't know how far it could have gone.

"I just want to warn other girls out at night to be extremely careful."

Police are investigating the incident.

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