Witness appeal in connection with sexual offence in Bebington

Detectives investigating an attempted rape in Bebington are appealing to trace potential witnesses after a man was charged.

At 3.25pm on Sunday 14 June, officers were called by a member of the public who was reporting a concern for the safety of a woman in Bebington Cemetery on Town Lane. A man was arrested at the scene and taken to a police station for questioning.

Michael Eccles, 51, of Juliet Avenue, Bebington, was arrested and has now been charged with Attempted rape and Common Assault.

Eccles remains in custody and will next appear on Tuesday 14 July at Liverpool Crown Court.

Detective Constable David Johnston said: "We are continuing to support the victim as our investigation continues. We are particularly looking to speak to two people, a man and a woman walking past, who we think may have witnessed some of this incident but are yet to make themselves known.

"If you are those people, or were passing by at around 3.20pm and saw or heard anything concerning, please come forward as soon as possible as it may assist our work."

Anyone with information should contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X or Facebook @MerPolCC. You can also report information via our website: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ or by calling 101 quoting incident reference 26000473574.

Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their website here: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously

Detective Constable Johnston continued: “Be assured that in all such investigations, specialist teams are here to support victims with sensitivity and compassion, every step of the way. I would continue to urge anyone who is a victim of any form of sexual abuse to please report this to police, or through our partner agencies.”

To report a sexual offence you can call 101, where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always call 999.

If you have been a victim of sexual offences, you can access specialist support services, which are free of charge and available to anyone. You do not need a referral or to have reported an incident to Merseyside Police before you access these specialist support services.

These services can support you in a variety of ways, including offering a confidential discussion if you are thinking of making a police report, but are unsure what that involves and would like to discuss it.

If you are a child or young person suffering sexual or physical abuse, the following organisations can also provide help and support:

NSPCC – call 0808 800 5000 or e-mail [email protected] 

Childline – call 0800 1111

You can report rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences anonymously here: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences/how-to-report-rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/  

There is a lot of support available from specialist officers within Merseyside Police and through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Victim Care Merseyside service delivered jointly by two registered charities.

In Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, support is provided by Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside who are available on 0151 558 1801 and, in St Helens and Knowsley, by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.