Woman attacked in attempted rape

A woman was approached by a man in the Jones Street area who grabbed her and dragged her to a spot nearby where he punched her in the head a number of times and attempted to rape her.

The woman was able to fight the man off and report it to the police.

The attack happened around 9pm on Thursday 22 January 2015.

At around the same time on Sunday 25 January 2015, a woman was walking past the Tile Giant shop on Oldham Road, Turf Hill when a man approached her asking for money.

When the woman told him she didn’t have any, he snatched her bag and ran off up Oldham Road. He was chased by a witness who had seen the incident take place but managed to get away somewhere near South Terraced Court.

Detective Inspective Andy Butterworth said: “The investigation into these two incidents is still at an early stage and there are still a number of lines of enquiry that we are following up but it is possible that there could be a link between them.

“I would like to urge members of the public to be extra vigilant when out at night, be aware of what is happening around you and try to go out in the company of others rather than alone.

“If you are planning on going out alone then please try to stick to well-lit areas and let somebody know where you are.”