Women in Keighley have been warned not to go out alone at night after a series of attacks.

Police issued the advice today after a third woman was attacked by a masked man who smashed her head onto a pavement when he pounced in the Lund Park area of Keighley.

Detectives revealed today they are linking the vicious assault on a 29-year-old woman in Kensington Street, on Tuesday, with two others in the same area in the last month.

The latest victim was knocked to the ground where she hit her elbow and forehead and the man, who had his face covered, grabbed her fringe and hit her head on the pavement several times before fleeing.

In the first assault the man attacked 25-year-old hairdresser Jenny Harper in her Hardwick Street home with a baseball bat-like club and in the second a 32-year-old woman was hit over the head with a weapon in Lund Park as she walked home.

Detectives have set up a special incident room in Keighley to investigate the three attacks which happened on the evenings of December 11, 16 and on January 4.

Detective Chief Superintendent Brian Taylor, who is leading the hunt, has warned women in the area to be extra vigilant and not to go out alone.

"I would advise women in Keighley and the Lund Park area in particular to be very vigilant.

"Don't answer the door at night without first making sure of the identity of the person on the other side.

"And if women are going to go out at night do not go out alone - make sure you are accompanied."

He said he was linking all three because of the similarities in the methods of attack, striking from behind and on two occasions with a weapon.

The attacks appeared motiveless because there was no evidence of a sexual aspect to them and no clues whether robbery was the aim.

He said he was very concerned about the viciousness of the attacks to the head.

"I am appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time of these attacks and who may have seen someone running or moving hastily or looking perplexed, to come forward," he added.

He called on both the white and Asian communities for any information they could give which might lead to the arrest of the man.

The latest attack happened at 8.30pm on Tuesday as the women was walking along Kensington Street towards Oakworth Road approaching Gouldbourne Street.

She became aware of someone walking behind who broke into a run. She turned and saw a man approaching and thought he was going to snatch her bag and she threw it into Kensington Street.

He ran into her, knocking her to the floor and smashed her head on the pavement. She screamed and the man ran off into Goulbroune Street.

He is described as white or having a light-skinned Asian appearance, in his early 20s, medium build and about 5ft10ins - 5ft11ins tall.

He was wearing a black padded jacket with the hood up and black jeans and had something dark coloured around his face.

Anyone with information should telephone the incident room on (01535) 617106.

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