Another assault has occurred in one of Southampton’s public parks

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man assaulted a 16-year-old girl on the 15th August in Riverside Park.

The girl was left uninjured but was in a state of shock. The man in question is 6ft tall, slim, bearded and missing a finger on his left hand. The incident occured in the middle of the day. Police are urging any witnesses to call 101 quoting 44180309259, or call the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

This is not the first incident of this kind, in recent years there have been a number of assaults that have taken place in the parks of Southampton. Some have even occurred in broad daylight.

On the 5th of March this year, a woman was raped in Hoglands Park in the city centre. It occurred at around 7pm. The woman was walking alone when she was attacked near the skate park. One month before this horrific assault a man was arrested after a different woman was sexually assaulted in East Park in the early hours of Sunday morning on the 5th February.

Following these assaults, Police reminded the public to be "alert but not alarmed" after a night out in the city; stick with friends; walk in busy and well-lit areas; and arrange your transport home beforehand.

It is clear that women walking on their own are the main targets, but if one girl can be assaulted in broad daylight – it questions whether police safety advice goes far enough.

Some are calling for surveillance cameras to be installed in Southampton's parks to prevent these kinds of assaults from taking place.