POLICE have released an e-fit of a man wanted in connection with a series of approaches to young girls.

The move follows an appeal earlier this week for information about the man, who hung around the Oxford Road area of Hartlepool asking girls to go out with him.

The first incident happened on Monday, June 27, at about 7.45pm, in Oxford Road, when the man approached two 13-year-old girls outside the Nisa supermarket and began paying them compliments.

He invited the girls to go with him and started to cuddle one of the teenagers, causing the girls to become alarmed and run away.

Two further incidents took place later the same evening, involving girls aged 13 and 15.

In one of the incidents, the man grabbed a girl, leaving a bruise on her arm.

The girl broke free after a struggle and police were called.

Detective Sergeant Steve Roche said police were not ruling out the possibility that the same culprit was also behind an attempted abduction in the town in April, a 12-year-old girl, who was on a bus from Hartlepool to Seaton Carew.

He said: "At this stage we have to keep an open mind and we are certainly not ruling out this possibility."

The man had a Mediterranean appearance and was about 30, with short, dark hair. He spoke with a foreign accent, was about 5ft 7in and of medium build. He was wearing a yellow T-shirt with a logo on it, blue jeans and white training shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to call (01642) 302126.