POLICE are hunting a teenage sex attacker who hit a girl over the head with a stone before indecently assaulting her in a secluded Fulwood park.

The attack is the latest in a string of assaults which have occurred in the area.

Now detectives in Fulwood are urging local children to be on their guard and have also warned women not to walk through the area by themselves at night.

In the most recent incident, a 14-year-old girl was indecently assaulted as she walked across a park between Midgery Lane and Fernyhalgh Lane.

Her attacker, believed to be a blond-haired 14-year-old boy wearing school uniform, smashed a rock into the back of the girl's head.

She fell to the ground and was indecently assaulted. She later escaped and was taken to the Royal Preston Hospital for stitches to her head.

DC Sue Cawley, of Fulwood CID, said: "We are concerned that these attacks have started happening.

"It is some time since there was an attack of this nature in the area and then several children are victims of assaults in the space of four weeks."

And police believe the same teenager exposed himself to a 32-year-old mother as she walked through the park with her 10-month-old baby.

DC Cawley added: "Somebody might have seen the offender in the park, which is very popular with locals."

Last month a paperboy was subjected to a beating from a gang of lads, one wielding a metal instrument, as he walked down Fulwood Row.

On February 17 another paperboy was punched in the stomach and had his bag stolen as he walked along Huyton Drive.

On March 3 a gang of thugs stole a 13-year-old's dinner money. One of the gang grabbed him by the neck and threw him into a brook near to Sharoe Green Lane, Fulwood.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact Preston Police on 01772-203203.

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