Witnesses sought after woman grabbed in Redhill

We are investigating after a woman was grabbed by a man in Redhill on Thursday morning (29 September).

The victim was walking along Emlyn Road towards Brambletye Road around 11.30am when she noticed a car driving slowly towards her from behind. The car then turned right onto Brambletye Road, honked its horn, and then sped off. 

The woman turned into Brambletye Road and noticed the same car had returned and was driving behind her again. The car stopped and the male driver asked for directions to the church. 

The woman then tried to walk on and the driver got out of the car and grabbed her by the arm.

The victim managed to break free and ran to Earlswood train station.

The man is described as 5ft 7 tall with a medium build. He had dark skin and a large nose and spoke with an accent, which could have been Eastern European.

He was wearing a dark-coloured top and clothing.

The car was described as old and black. 

Detective Constable Jessica Newberry, who is investigating the incident, said: “We would like to reassure the local community that we are treating this allegation seriously and are pursuing a number of enquiries in efforts to identify and locate the suspect. We would ask anyone who saw what happened, or who may have seen a man matching the description above in the area at the time of the incident, to come forward as soon as possible.
"We would also like to appeal to anyone who was driving in the area at the time to check their dashcam footage and contact us if you have footage that may have captured the incident or the suspect vehicle.”

If you can help, please contact us quoting reference PR/45220105698 via:

• Webchat by clicking the button to your right
• Online https://www.surrey.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/
• Calling us on 101 

If you do not wish to leave your name, please call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.