12-year-old girl assaulted in Tilehurst

THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following the report of an assault on a girl in Tilehurst.
At about 2.20pm on Sunday (March 25), a 12-year-old girl was walking in Langley Hill when she was followed by a man who overtook her, stopped and stared at her.
When she told him to go away, he grabbed her by the arm and swore at her, before kicking her in the side, causing her to fall to the ground.
He then kicked her again before running off up the hill towards Tilehurst.
The girl sustained injuries to her lower ribs and was seen by paramedics, but did not receive hospital treatment.
The man is described as black, in his early thirties, 6ft 3ins, of large build, with a Jamaican or West Indies accent.
He had dark hair, short stubble and was wearing thick-rimmed black plastic glasses.
PC Shaun Bull, investigating officer, said: “Our investigation is at an early stage and we are still trying to piece together what happened. We are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident or has any other information which may assist us. In particular, we would like to hear from anyone who saw a man hanging around outside the shops at the bottom of Royal Avenue, Calcot.”
Superintendent Robin Rickard, commander of West Berkshire, said: “I understand that there will naturally be concern in the local community about what occurred on Sunday, however incidents of this nature are very rare is this area and our local neighbourhood officers are carrying out additional patrols to provide extra reassurance.
"While we do not want to cause panic, we do think it would be prudent for people to be extra vigilant and take sensible personal safety precautions when out and about. Any suspicious behaviour should be reported to police immediately.”
Anyone with information about the incident should contact PC Bull via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 101.
If you don't want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.