A terrified 13-year-old schoolgirl was dragged to the floor and threatened with a knife to her throat as she made her way to school in Salford.
The girl had passed through the subway under East Lancashire Road, and was walking through Duchy Road playing fields when she was grabbed from behind by an unknown male assailant.
The girl then screamed before throwing her iPod onto a nearby grass verge – the offender then mysteriously walked away without taking anything.
The attack happened between 7.30am and 7.45am on Friday June 7.
The man, who is described as white, 5ft 8in tall, was wearing a grey hooded top and black jacket and had his face covered.
Detective Constable Jon Marsh said: “This is a concerning incident as the offender has made no threats or demands and when confronted with an opportunity to steal the victim’s iPod has walked off empty handed.
“While we can’t be sure of the motive, we can be certain that this was terrifying for the young girl and we are doing all we can to identify him so if anyone saw anything or know who this person is or the reason he attacked her please call us.
“I want local school children and their parents to be aware of this and where possible I would encourage them to walk to and from school with friends and if that is not possible to certainly try and avoid isolated and desolate locations like subways and parks.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 5351, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
For more on this story and many others, follow Mancunian Matters on Twitter and Facebook.
