Man arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and other offences in St Helens

Detectives have arrested a man on suspicion of sexual assault and other offences following incidents in St Helens on Monday 13 February.

At around 1.35pm, a woman in her 50s was walking into Sutton Park when she was approached and sexually assaulted.
 
Following enquiries, a 25-year-old man from St Helens was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault; assault occasioning actual bodily harm; and public order incidents. The second matter refers to an incident reported at 2.15pm on the same day, in which a 12-year-old girl was approached in Sutton Park and reportedly grabbed her wrist before she made off.
 
Detective Inspector Jimmy Rotherham said: "A man is in custody and will be questioned in relation to this offence. The victims were left understandably distressed and we are supporting them as we continue this investigation.
 
"We understand the concern that any such incident causes in our communities, and will be maintaining a police presence in the area to speak to anyone who has more information and provide reassurance. Locally, we have also been made aware of suspicious incidents in the past couple of days which may be linked, but this will all be subject to a full and thorough investigation.
 
"As with any live investigation, it is vital for members of the public to refrain from posting comments or speculation which may jeopardise this investigation. Once we have any updates we will share these with the community."
 
If you have any information, contact us directly at @MerpolCC or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 with reference 23000128664.