Teenage girl was sexually assaulted in Kirkholt

Around 8.30pm on Saturday 16 January 2010, the 13-year-old girl was walking down an alleyway that links Kildare Crescent and Balderstone Road, Kirkholt.

A man approached her then pushed her to the side of the alley and attacked her.

She managed to stop him and he ran off.

The man is described as white, around 5ft 6ins tall, of a chubby build and in his late 30s. He has short light brown and grey hair, with green or brown eyes with bags and wrinkles underneath, a fat nose and some missing teeth.

He also had a mole on his cheek, which was level with his nose.

This incident is being linked to an incident on 29 December 2009, where an 18-year-old girl was raped on Hill Top Drive, Kirkholt shortly after 10pm.

Detective Inspector Chris Walker of Rochdale CID said: "We are linking these incidents because the descriptions of the attacker are similar.

"I don't want this to frighten the local community as we are working hard to catch the man responsible, but I also don't want women to be complacent about this.

"Try not to walk alone after dark, stick to well lit areas and be aware of your surroundings. If you feel like you are being followed get to a place you feel safe and tell someone. We will also have extra officers patrolling the area after dark.

"The description of the man is quite distinctive, so please if you think you know this person please call us, we need to find him and make sure he cannot do something like this again."

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 4644 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Anyone who has been a victim of rape or sexual assault can contact Greater Manchester Police on 0161 872 5050 or 999 in an emergency. GMP has specially trained officers in place to provide a first class response to victims and help support them through the criminal justice process.

St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester, can also be contacted on 0161 276 6515. This provides a comprehensive and coordinated forensic, counselling and medical aftercare service to anyone in Greater Manchester who has experienced rape or sexual assault. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and people can access them either as a self-referral or via Greater Manchester Police.