A MAN who raped a 14-year-old girl as she walked alone along a Swindon street is being hunted by detectives.

The girl was walking along Cricklade Road before the late night attack.

Swindon police spokeswoman Alvina Kumar said: "As she approached the junction with Avening Street, a man grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into a short alleyway on the right hand side of Avening Street. A serious sexual assault took place.

"The man then made off along the alleyway in the direction of Avening Street, and the girl went in the opposite direction leading into the car-park at the rear of the Co-op store."

The suspect is of Asian appearance, has an Asian accent, is about 20, about 5ft 10ins tall, and has short black hair, a thin face, a pencil-thin jawline beard and a slim moustache. He also has a distinctive nose. He was wearing a black leather jacket, blue shirt, black trousers and black shoes. He struck at about 11pm last Thursday.

Anybody with information is asked to contact police on Swindon 528111 or the confidential Crimestoppers hotline on (0800 555 111).