DETECTIVES yesterday released an e-fit image of a man they wish to speak to after a teenager was grabbed as she walked home.

Police believe the same man may have approached another girl soon after the first incident.

Both took place in Harrogate in the early hours of Friday, April 1.

A 16-year-old on her way home from a party was stopped at the corner of Rossett Green Lane and Green Lane by a man in a white car at about 1am.

The man got out and grabbed her round the shoulders and neck, but the girl struggled free and the man drove off in the direction of Leadhall.

About 15 minutes later, another lone 16-year-old was approached by a man she had seen in an old, white car.

She was near the post office in Rossett Green Lane when the man approached, holding what she said was a bicycle chain across his chest. He asked for the time, but the girl ran away.

The man police seek is about 5ft 10in, stocky with very short, balding hair. Aged 30 to 40, he wore a black puffa-style jacket with a front zip, and dark trousers.

His white car is described as an old model, but well looked after. It was a saloon car, possibly a Ford Escort or Orion, and may have had a beige stripe on the side.

Anyone who can help is asked to call the witness line on (01423) 539334.