AN appeal for witnesses has been made by police after two teenage girls at the main gates of Maldon's Promenade Park car park were inappropriately approached by a man who grabbed them.

The incident happened on Sunday (31 January) at around 2.30pm when the man tried to engage the girls in conversation. As the girls attempted to leave, the unknown male grabbed them by the arms. The girls pulled away and the man shortly left the area in the direction of the High Street.

He is described as white, slim, over 5 ft tall and in his late 40s to early 50s. He has black hair and was wearing a black washed-out coat with a pair of dark jogging bottoms.

Investigating officer PC Victoria Melhuish said: "Although incidents like this are concerning, they are thankfully uncommon. All local officers, Park Rangers and Community Protection Officers have been made aware of the incident and our enquiries are ongoing.

"We ask that anyone in the local community who may have witnessed the assault, or may have CCTV or dash cam footage from the area at the time, please contact Maldon's local policing team on 101, quoting crime reference number 42/18389/21."

Alternatively, you can submit a report online here wher you can use the 'Live Chat' button to speak to an online operator between 7am and 11pm.

Information can also be given to independent charity [L] https://crimestoppers-uk.org [L+]Crimestoppers anonymously online or by calling on 0800 555 111.