Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for information after a woman was grabbed by an unknown man in Edinburgh in the early hours of this morning.
The incident happened at around 12.45am on Cumberland Street.
A 29-year-old woman was walking home after a night out and was halfway along Cumberland Street from Dundas Street when she became aware of a man running up behind her.
He grabbed her around her mouth and dragged her backwards a short distance before the victim was able to shout for help and the male ran off in the direction of Dundas Street.
He is described as being male in his late 20’s to early 30s, around 5ft 8ins tall, of tanned complexion and with a medium build. He had medium length dark hair which was shorter at the sides and back and bushier and thicker on top, and at the time of the incident he was wearing a light coloured jumper.
A police spokesperson said:- “This was obviously a very traumatic incident for the victim, and we want to trace the suspect as a matter of urgency.
“We are keen to speak to anyone who may have been in the area at the time and who may have seen or heard the incident, or who recognises a description of the suspect.
“We believe the woman may have been followed from Dundas Street, and we are particularly keen to trace two men in their late 40’s with local accents who walked pass both the victim and the suspect on Dundas Street just prior to the attack taking place.
“Edinburgh is a safe city and thankfully incidents like this are rare, however a guide to getting home safely from nights out, with tips on how to keep yourself and your property secure, can be found at www.lbp.police.uk”
Anyone with information should contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131 or Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.
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