Crime Desk

Officers from Sapphire in Ilford are appealing for witnesses and information following an allegation of attempted rape.

At approximately 23:00hrs on Tuesday 20 October 2009, the 27-year-old male victim was in Whipps Cross Forest . A man he did not know engaged him in conversation. The man then asked if they could have sex but the victim said no and said he was leaving.

The suspect grabbed the victim by the arm as he went to walk away and pushed him to the floor. He then attempted to rape the victim who was struggling to get away. The victim managed to push the suspect off him and was able to stand up and run away.

An e-fit of the suspect has been complied from a description given by the victim. He is described as a white male in his early thirties with a London accent and short blonde hair. The suspect is also described as having heavy acne scarring on the right side of his face, with slight acne scaring on the left side of his face. He was wearing a blue tight fitting T-shirt with a "Superman" emblem on it and dark trousers.

Detective Constable Graham Alger said: "We are releasing this e-fit in the hope that someone will recognise the suspect and come forward.

"We would like to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time and may have information that will assist our investigation, or to anyone who recognises the suspect from the e-fit.

"I would like to reassure the community that incidents of this nature are rare, but, understandably, cause great concern. The Metropolitan Police Service takes all allegations of rape and sexual assault extremely seriously and this case is being investigated by dedicated officers from the Sapphire command."

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sapphire unit on 0208 345 3562, or, if you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.