Information Wanted

We’re hunting for two men who have been approaching lone women and grabbing them from behind in the Nuneaton area in recent days.

This investigation is a priority. We know you are all concerned and that you want to know what we are doing to catch those responsible.

This is a live investigation, so here’s all that we can tell you at this time without compromising any lines of enquiry.

We are treating the two crimes as connected at this stage:

• At around 11pm on Saturday, 18 October, in Ansley Village Rec a lone woman was walking her dog when she was approached from behind and grabbed by a man. The man held something to her neck – it may have been a knife, we cannot be sure at this time – but it left a mark. He was interrupted when the woman’s dog ran over and he fled. The man involved was described as having an eastern European accent.

• At around 1.30pm yesterday, 22 October, on Arley’s Wood Lane a lone woman was walking her dog when she was grabbed from behind by a man and had something sharp held to her neck. The man started pulling her and at the same time she could hear that there was another man in a car nearby in a layby. The men are believed to have then left the scene.

The suspect descriptions from this incident differ slightly, however a shared description is that one of the men has an eastern European accent and has been heard to be speaking another language. From the second incident, we have a description of a black hatchback car so we are investigating a second male suspect.

We are aware of speculation and online commentary that these males are asylum seekers who live in local HMOs. We’ve got senior detectives working flat-out to trace those responsible and pursue all lines of enquiry. All avenues are being explored, but at this point, our lines of enquiry do not lead to this.

A separate investigation is underway after a local HMO was damaged, we believe as a result of this speculation. Anyone damaging HMOs or harassing asylum seekers will take police resources away from where we want them to be – which is patrolling the local area.

Lines of enquiry are active to trace the men and the black hatchback as described and we will update you all with any developments.

Your neighbourhood officers and detectives will be active in the area. Please come and talk to us about any concerns you have. If you’ve got any information about either of these incidents, please call 101.

Always call 999 in an emergency.