Student targeted and has hair cut off in city centre

A Manchester student has spoken out about her terrifying experience when a ‘scary man’ came up behind her and cut off a lock of her hair.

The 19 year old student, originally from Cyprus, was walking down Charles Street (the road connecting Factory and Joshua Brooks with Oxford Road) with her friends, when she felt a tug on her hair and turned around to find a man holding the hair that he had just cut off.

Charles street, leading to Joshua Brooks and Factory

The man, described to be around 30-35 with a small build, dressed in a black jacket, black trousers and wearing a black woolly hat, did not reply when she asked what he had done and then ran away from the scene.

The victim was walking to Bouzouki, a Greek restaurant, with four other girl friends when the man approached them just past scaffolding near to Bracken House at around 10.50pm on Friday.

The police have since launched a full investigation, and are checking nearby CCTV cameras to study the images. The police have also classified this event that occurred on Friday as an assault.

Understandably, the student is too afraid to be named and has since stated that she is fearful of leaving her city centre flat.

She said: “I was shocked. I am studying on my own here and my family are all in Cyprus.

“I do not know whether this man was following me. I did not see any scissors or a knife and he was not drunk, I’m sure of that. He could have done anything to me and I do not want to leave my flat on my own.”