POLICE are stepping up the hunt for a sex attacker after they link it to earlier incidents.

And in an attempt to track down the suspect Cleveland Police have released an e-fit image of the man they believe is responsible.

The force has stepped up patrols in the Stockton area following the sexual assault on a 12-year-old girl on common land near to Chadwick Walk, Hardwick, on Wednesday afternoon.

Following further investigations police are now directly linking this with the two reports of incidents on October 18 and 22, during which two girls were separately asked by a man to get into a silver vehicle. When they refused the car drove off.

Detective Inspector Steve Roche, who is leading the investigation said: “We have released this e-fit in the hope that someone can identify the person responsible for these incidents.

“Our message to parents and the local community remains the same, please take a common sense approach but remain vigilant. Report anything suspicious to police.

“We have extra patrols across Stockton and highly experienced detectives working on this case.”

Detectives would like to hear from members of the public who think they can identify the man in the e-fit. They believe he may have access to a silver car – the size of a Volkswagen Golf, with blacked out windows.

The e-fit shows the man wearing a black Ralph Lauren top, which the victim believes he was wearing on Wednesday afternoon.

Yesterday (Thursday, October 25), at around 4pm, police received a high number of reports of silver vehicles in the Stockton area. Two girls in Norton reported that a small silver car had driven past them and the driver was looking at them suspiciously. A girl, also in Norton, reported that a man matching the description was walking behind her suspiciously.

Anyone with information is asked to call Cleveland Police on the non-emergency number 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.