Harrogate police are appealing for information and warning people to be on their guard after a naked man was seen on The Stray.
At around 8.20pm on Sunday 3 November 2013, a woman was walking along The Stray towards Leeds Road when she noticed a man walking towards her from the direction of Tewit Well Bridge.
As the man got closer, she realised that he was completely naked and was performing a lewd act
The woman ran away from the area and raised the alarm. As she ran off, she noticed that the man was walking back in the direction of Trewit Well Bridge.
The man did not speak to the woman during the incident nor try to make contact with her.
Officers immediately attended the scene of the incident and carried out a search of the area with the assistance of a police search dog, but the man was not traced.
Officers are appealing for members of the public to contact them if they have any information which could help identify the suspect or if they witnessed any suspicious activity on The Stray.
The suspect is described as aged around 45 to 55 years old, around 6ft, 2in tall with a ‘beer belly’. He had dark, receding hair, similar to a monk’s hairstyle. He had a moustache and goatee beard which was dark and greying.
He was carrying a bag described as a ‘bag for life’ possibly blue in colour, with what appeared to be his clothes draped over it. The clothing items are believed to be a light blue t-shirt and dark coloured jeans.
Detective Constable Fiona Ayre of Harrogate CID, said:
This was a very disturbing incident. Although no contact was made with the victim, it has left her very shaken up.
It’s vital that this man is stopped and made to face the consequences of his actions. Members of the public should be allowed to walk through the town without being confronted by such shocking behaviour.
To assist the police investigation, I am appealing to anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the area of The Stray on Sunday night or can help us identify the suspect, to please contact us. We urge members of the public to be on their guard and to try and stick to well lit areas when they are walking at night. If anyone is confronted by a person acting in this manner, please dial 999 straight away.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Harrogate CID.
Alternatively, you can pass information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Please quote incident number 12130191206 when passing on information about this incident.
