A grey-haired witness could hold the key to tracing the man who tried to abduct a girl last week.

Police hunting the a man who tried to snatch a 12-year-old girl in an alley between Meller Close and Beddington Park last Sunday say a grey-haired man could have seen the entire incident from his window.

Officers are keen to speak to the potential witness as they hunt the tall, bald man who grabbed the girl by the wrists and said "come with me" at about 5.45pm.

Detective Inspector Sarah Rees, leading the investigation, said: "We want the public’s help to tell us the identity of this man. We also want to hear from anyone who hasn’t yet come forward, who was in this area at this time, to tell us what they saw.

"We are particularly keen to speak to a man with grey hair who was looking out of a window in the Meller Close flats, which overlook Beddington Park, who may have seen the offender.

"Even small amounts of information will help us build a bigger picture of what happened."

The victim, who managed to get free by wriggling out of the hooded top she was wearing and running away, is being supported by her family and the police.

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Police search the alley where the attack happened

Police have conducted searches of the area and done door-to-door enquiries as they search for the man, who spoke with a local accent and is thought to be in his 30s and about 6ft 3in tall.

Officers also spoke to travellers who were in a nearby section of Beddington Park at the time of the attempted abduction

DI Rees added: "They were happy to help. The travellers and other members of the public have given us some useful new lines of enquiry."

Police believe the man followed the girl from when she got off a bus in Croydon Road, along Guy Road and then across a bridge over the Wandle to the alley where the attack happened. They are also looking into whether he was on the same bus as the girl.

Local schools have been made aware of the incident. police say they are not linking the attack to a similar incident near a school in Coulsden on Thursday, May 9, but are keeping open minds.

If you have any information you can call Sutton CID on 0208 8649 0747 or the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.