Teen attacked Police apologise after taking three days to respond

POLICE have apologised to an 18-year-old woman after she reported being grabbed by a man in the street last Wednesday night and officers took three days to see her.

She screamed and managed to escape unhurt, got home and called police at 11.08pm.

But the force has now admitted that no officer followed up her call until Saturday morning – after two other women were attacked in the same area in the meantime.

The 18-year-old was walking in Bishopsworth when she was approached and grabbed by a man in Sandburrows Road at around 10.45pm.

But it was not until at least 9am on Saturday that officers went to interview her about what had happened three nights earlier – and in the meantime, two other women had experienced similar attacks or incidents.

The 18-year-old’s mother said they contacted the police on 999, but were told they needed to use 101 to report the incident.

She said: “My daughter is 18 and suffers with anxiety, and they’ve done squat. I’m pretty angry about that.”

On Friday at 5am, a woman in her 30s was jogging in King’s Head Lane Park – just 100 yards or so away from Sandburrows Road – when she was followed by a man and sexually touched.

The woman screamed and she managed to run off to a nearby shop. The police were called at 5.15am.

Officers responded immediately, and were there within 10 minutes to search the area, but found no trace of the man.

Then in the afternoon that same day, a 15-year-old girl was walking in the Headley Park Avenue area of Headley Park, around half a mile from King’s Head Lane Park, when she was followed by a man.

She called a family member, at which point the man stopped following her.

She got home, told her mother and reported it to the police on Saturday.

Police said they had offered a private apology to the 18-year-old who had been grabbed on the Wednesday night for not going to see her until Saturday.

A police spokesperson said: “We have apologised to one of the victims who this week reported being grabbed by a man in Sandburrows Road.

“A private apology has been made for the delay in seeing her and we would like to publicly express our apologies.”

The attack on the 18-year-old on Wednesday and the two incidents on Friday are now being linked – along with two other reports of women being sexually assaulted in and around King’s Head Lane Park in Bedminster Down.

Police mounted an operation on Saturday night, watching CCTV and with plain-clothed officers patrolling undercover. They arrested a 27-year-old man in the early hours of Sunday.

They then appealed for any other victims who had not yet come forward to speak to them, as well as anyone who witnessed a man acting suspiciously, or anyone with CCTV, dashcam or doorbell CCTV from the area over the past weeks or months.

“Inquiries into these incidents are ongoing. Patrols of the area are also continuing,” said a police spokesperson.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed any of these incidents, or other victims who may not have come forward to police at this time.

“If you have any CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage from the area or any other information which could help, please call 101 and give the reference 5222119305.

“Alternatively, please call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.”