SCHOOLGIRLS have reported seeing a man who fits the description of a would-be rapist.

Detective Sergeant Lee Halstead said: "The description the girls gave of the man they saw walking towards the Anchor pub at Salterforth and then on the canal towpath was very similar to that of a man wanted in connection with an an incident on September 3.

"If this man is not arrested then I believe he could attack again and next time he could take it a step further."

Earlier this month a 25-year-old woman walking on a quiet footpath in Cross Lane, Salterforth, was attacked by a man who attempted to rape her.

She struggled and shouted at her attacker and managed to knee him in the groin before escaping and raising the alarm.

The girls saw the man as they walked home on Monday. He is described as aged 40 to 50, 5ft 5in, slim with a broad neck and muscular chest, a pock-marked face and he was wearing black-rimmed glasses which he removed when he got to the towpath.

His hair was in a bad condition and was grey with black streaks and he had grey sideburns. He had a gold ring on his right hand and had tucked his hair into a black baseball cap.

He was wearing a light purple sweat shirt, a pair of navy shiny tracksuit bottoms with red and green stripes around the bottom and black trainers with white soles possibly Puma make.

DS Halstead said: "We don't know whether this is the same man, but the description is very similar and we would like him to come forward so we could eliminate him from our inquiries."

He said police had followed up a number of possibilities and interviewed and eliminated nearly 20 people.

Anyone with any information can contact Pendle police on 01282 863161.

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