Catacombs sex attacker sought

Woman seriously hurt

A sex attacker is being urgently sought following an attack on a woman in the early hours of Saturday morning in the centre of Exeter.

The woman was assaulted in the Catacombs area of the city and located in Exe Street around 2 a.m.

She was taken to hospital but has since been discharged and is now being supported by specially-trained officers.

Detectives have inow ssued an appeal for information from the public.

Detective inspector Stephanie Blundell said: “We are asking anyone who was in the area of Bartholomew Street West, close to the junction of Fore Street, between the hours of 1.30 a.m. and 2.15 a.m. on Saturday morning to contact us.

“We are particularly interested in locating any dashcam footage of the area or any private CCTV recordings that people may have of the street.

“The public are likely to see an increased police presence in and around the area as police enquiries continue.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police via 101@dc.police.uk or by telephone on 101, quoting crime reference CR/053679/22.

Alternatively, independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling freephone 0800 555111.