A 16-year-old girl was indecently assaulted as she walked home along Skipton Road, Keighley, on Monday evening.

The girl, who was heading away from the town centre, was approached by two men who began talking to her. After a while one of the men left but the other walked alongside her. At the entrance to Cliffe Castle park, she was grabbed by the man and carried struggling into the park. She was threatened, forced to the ground and indecently assaulted. She managed to struggle free, and the man ran off.

Police are keen to hear from anyone who might have witnessed the incident, which happened at about 6pm, or may have seen the assailant. Sgt Allan Gee, of Keighley Police, says: "This was a very nasty incident. Fortunately the girl was not physically injured, but she was very badly shaken and emotionally affected by what happened. She put up a struggle which scared off the attacker and prevented the incident becoming even more severe.

"This happened alongside a main road at a busy time, when there would be a lot of people around."

The attacker is described as Asian, aged about 18 with black hair. He was wearing black nylon tracksuit bottoms, black trainers and an orange fleece top with a short zip at the front.

The other man was also Asian and aged around 18. He was wearing a cream-coloured jacket.

Anyone with information should phone Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or Keigh-ley CID on 01535 617081.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.