A MAN who groped a young girl after sitting next to her on a bus may be responsible for two other sexual assaults.

At around 6pm on November 21 the man got on the No63 bus at Middlesbrough Station. He spoke to the 16-year-old girl before putting his arm around her and fondling her.

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said: “The girl got off the bus in Eston and as her friend shouted at him through the bus window he stayed on, getting off in Redcar.”

He is described as black, 30 to 40-years-old and of a fat build. He was about 5ft 8ins tall and had big yellow teeth with gaps. He spoke with a foreign accent and is not believed to be local.

“He was wearing a black coat, an old black tatty cap with white writing, which he took off at one point showing that he had very short, curly black coloured Afro hair,” she said.

“He was wearing wire-rimmed round glasses and a checkered grey shirt with white stripes under his coat. He also had an old black shoulder bag, which he was wearing with a strap across his chest.”

On November 7, between 4pm and 4.30pm a man sat down next to another 16-year-old on a bus travelling from Norton to Hartlepool.

He attempted to befriend the female before kissing and foldling her. He got off at Hartlepool Marina.

He was said to be a foreign black man with a moustache, approximately 6ft tall and of broad build.

He was wearing a cap, a green t-shirt and black trousers. He had a backpack with him.

On October 31, between 10.30am and 10.40am, a 20-year-old woman was on a bus in Hartlepool when a man sat next to her and touched her body.

She got on at York Road and the man a couple of stops later. Both got off at Stockton High Street.

The suspect is described as black, with thinning black hair, of medium build and in late 20s to early 30s. He was wearing a beige jumper, blue jeans and had a silver chain. He appeared to be North African or Arabic.

Anyone with information should contact Redcar CID on 01642-302626.