Detectives investigating a serious sexual assault of a woman in an east London restaurant car park have released an e-fit image of the suspect.
The victim, 24, was returning home from a night out with a friend at 2.30am on June 3 when she stopped at McDonalds on Silvertown Way.
She found the restaurant was closed and headed through the car park towards her home when she was ambushed and assaulted.
The woman screamed which alerted the friend she had been out with and the attacker ran in the direction of a nearby Morrisons supermarket.
She gave police a description of the man as being of Asian appearance and possibly aged in his mid to late 30s. He wore glasses and had a light coloured beard. An e-fit image of the man officers are hunting was drawn up.
Detective Constable Matt Wilson, from the North East Safeguarding Unit, said: “This was a terrifying attack on a woman in the middle of the night. She bravely managed to call out for help and in doing so caused her attacker to run away, but not before she was sexually assaulted.
“Given the time of night, the car park was not busy, but we do know there were some people in the area including delivery drivers waiting to collect orders from McDonalds. We also know there was a white van parked in the car park at the time.
“I would urge anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious or even just unusual, to come forward. I’d also encourage anyone who thinks they recognise the person depicted in the e-fit image to get in touch.
“We take incidents such as this extremely seriously and will follow any possible line of enquiry presented to us.
“While we have no information at this stage to indicate that this man has struck before, we cannot rule out the possibility. I would urge anyone who has been the victim of an assault of this nature, no matter when it took place, to call the police.
“We have specialist officers who will take your concerns seriously and provide support throughout the investigation and any judicial process that follows.”
