DETECTIVES hunting a sex attacker who indecently assaulted a woman on a train are working with officers investigating the murder of Sara Cameron.

Police have refused to rule out a link between the killing of the 23-year-old student and an incident on Wednesday night when a woman was assaulted after being approached on a train.

Sara was murdered in April after she was followed by her attacker from a Metro train at Earsdon, North Tyneside.

The latest attack happened at about 11pm, on Wednesday.

The victim was followed by a man who had approached her on a Metro journey from Howdon to Whitley Bay - also in North Tyneside.

Detective Inspector Dianne Winship said: "The woman was grabbed and forced into a back lane near the Metro where the attacker indecently assaulted her.

"He then forced her to walk with him down Cambridge Avenue, where she was able to break free."

The attacker is described as 6ft 3in to 4in, aged 30 to 32 years, of medium build, with dark hair and brown eyes. He was clean shaven and wore a black silky short-sleeved shirt with light-coloured trousers and black shoes.

Det Insp Winship said: "At this stage we are supporting the victim and trying to establish exactly what happened.

"We want to speak to anyone who saw the incident or anyone who may have picked up a man fitting the description from Whitley Bay.

"Because of the location and type of the attack, as a matter of routine, we are liaising with officers investigating the murder of Sara Cameron."

Sara was stripped naked and murdered on the day before she was due to fly out to Australia for a work placement at the Sydney Olympics.

Det Insp Winship said detectives wanted to speak to two men who were standing smoking at the entrance of the Metro at the time of the attack, or a man walking his black-and-white collie next to the library