Police say same man was behind two sex assaults in the same night in Leeds

They both happened in the early hours of last Tuesday as two different 21 year-old women walked home from a night out in the Woodhouse area of the city.

West Yorkshire Police are also still looking into whether those incidents are linked to a robbery of a woman outside her home a week before.

In the first one a woman was grabbed by the man as she walked home along Woodhouse Lane at about 2.35am on Tuesday September 26.

He pushed her against a bus stop but she managed to struggle free and walk away. The man approached her again at the junction of Delph Lane and Woodhouse Street and grabbed her but she shouted for help and the man walked away before she flagged down a passing taxi driver who took her home.

The suspect was described as a mixed race male aged in his late twenties, medium build and about 5ft 8ins tall, wearing a light grey oversized puffer-type jacket, with a large triangular hood that he wore up, and baggy jeans.

At about 3am on the same day a different 21-year-old woman was walking home from a night out when she became aware of a man following her along Delph Lane.

As she was on the doorstep of her home in Burchett Grove, Woodhouse, the man approached her and tried to force his way in. The victim managed to shut the door on him and the man left the scene.

On that occasion he was described as a tall, dark-skinned male, of medium build. He was wearing a dark green coat with a fur-trimmed hood and blue jeans. The CCTV images released are from the area of that incident.

Officers are looking at whether these offences could be linked to a robbery which happened at about 4.30am on Tuesday, September 19 when a 21-year-old woman was returning to her home in Blenheim Terrace, Woodhouse, after a night out when she was approached on the doorstep by a man who pulled her to the floor. After a brief struggle he stole the victim’s mobile phone and ran off in the direction of Blackman Lane.

He was described as black, aged 25 to 30, average height and of strong build.

Det Insr Richard Holmes, of Leeds District CID, said: “As a result of further enquiries, we now believe the same suspect is responsible for the two sexual assaults in the early hours of the Tuesday.

“The CCTV images we are now releasing are quite clear and we would like to hear from anyone who recognises this man or who has seen him in the area either on the night or at any other time.

“We are continuing to carry out extensive enquiries to identify this man and are working with our colleagues from the local neighbourhood policing team who are increasing their patrols of the area to reassure the community and deter any further offences.

“Our personal safety advice remains the same as it would at any other time. We’d always encourage people to plan ahead for their journey home and travel by bus or taxi. If you do have to walk then keep with a group of friends and stay to well-lit routes along main roads wherever possible.”

Anyone with any information that could assist the investigation is asked to contact Leeds District CID via 101 quoting crime number 13170444718 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.