DETECTIVES were last night hunting a sex attacker who snatched a six-year-old girl from the bath and subjected her to a terrifying assault before leaving her wandering the streets naked.

Police said the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found by a resident who came to her aid after hearing her cries.

They want to trace a man who was seen loitering around the Willington Quay area of North Tyneside, where the abduction took place, dressed in dark clothes and dark gloves.

The attacker gained access to the child through the back of the house.

She was driven away in a car and subjected to what police described as a sexually-motivated assault, before she was left in an alley.

The girl is said to be distressed but otherwise unharmed by the incident, which took place between 7pm and 7.30pm on Tuesday.

She is now at home with her mother. The girl's father lives apart from the family.

Northumbria Police said specially-trained officers were speaking to the youngster to help them track down her abductor.

Police were alerted by the girl's mother when she discovered she was missing from the ground-floor bathroom.

Detective Chief Inspector Jim Napier said: "This little girl has had a very frightening experience and we are making every possible effort to find the man responsible.

"Thankfully, she was found safe and well and had only been missing a short time.

"We are carrying out extensive inquiries and want to speak to anyone who saw a man acting suspiciously in the area."

He added that police had cordoned off the area where the girl was found and that forensic tests and inquiries were being conducted in the vicinity.

Det Chief Insp Napier said officers also wanted to speak to anyone who heard a car being driven erratically or heard tyres screeching around the time of the incident.

He said: "No arrests have been made. We are at quite an early stage of the inquiry.

"We have specially-trained officers with the young girl, trying to tease the information out of her.

"I am relatively satisfied that she has been taken out in a car, albeit for a very short time.

"It is difficult to be specific as to how long she was missing, but it was in the region of about quarter of an hour.

"Naturally, the mother is upset as to what has happened, and her primary concern is for the welfare of her child. We have spoken to the father.

"We don't have a suspect at the moment, but it is routine in an investigation like this to examine the background of close family members."

A mother whose three children were playing in the street at the time the girl was snatched, said: "My kids were out there playing when suddenly there were police sirens and cars all around.

"There had been a red car screeching around the streets before, which the children said they saw.

"I had loads of text messages from friends asking me if my children were okay.

"I'm just relieved they weren't involved. They are scared to go out into the streets now."

Another residents said: "I have a little granddaughter who is a year old, who stays with me every weekend.

"I am not too happy to think this could happen.

"It's down to the parents to make sure kids are safe, but how do you defend against that?"

Another neighbour, a single 39-year-old man, said: "When I first came to the street five years ago, it was a lovely place to live. But now I don't go outside the front door."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0191-214 6555, extension 63806.