Police in Rochdale are urging the public to stay safe at night after two attacks on women in the Kingsway area in just four days.
The first was an attempted rape by a man on Jones Street, and the second was a theft that took place on Oldham Road, Turf Hill.
The police suspect that ‘there could be a link’ between the two incidents.
Detective Inspector Andy Butterworth said: “The investigation into these two incidents is still at an early stage and there are still a number of lines of enquiry that we are following up.”
At around 9pm on Thursday January 22, a woman was grabbed and dragged by a man to a nearby spot where he punched her in the head several times and attempted to rape her.
The woman luckily managed to escape after fighting the man off, and she later reported it to the police.
On the following Sunday around the same time, a woman was walking past the Tile Giant shop when a man approached her and asked for money.
After telling him that she did not have any, the man snatched her bag and fled up Oldham Road.
The thief was chased by a nearby witness but managed to escape near South Terraced Court.
Detective Butterworth said: “I would like to urge members of the public to be extra vigilant when out at night, be aware of what is happening around you and try to go out in the company of others rather than alone.
“If you are planning on going out alone then please try to stick to well-lit areas and let somebody know where you are.”
Image courtesy of Google Maps, with thanks.
