A teenage girl fought off a large man who sexually assaulted her by biting and scratching him.

The 15-year-old girl was cycling through the Hogsmill Open Space near the King George V Recreation Ground at about 4.30pm on Monday (July 10) when a man pushed her off and sexually assaulted her.

She managed to bite the man’s arm and scratch his face and he ran off towards Ewell, Surrey Police stated.

The force is now hunting for a large, white man with large hands. The attacker had dark brown hair and a two centimetre-long beard, the force added. He was wearing a grey or blue t-shirt and dark blue knee-length cargo-style shorts.

Detective Sergeant Sarah Jupp said: “Many people will have been in this local nature reserve or by the Hogsmill River on this sunny afternoon. If you were and saw anything suspicious in the area at the time please contact us immediately.

“Luckily the victim’s instinct to fight off her assailant meant she was physically unharmed but understandably left extremely upset.

“We would like to reassure the local community that we are carrying out a number of enquiries to identify the suspect and that we have stepped up patrols in the area to provide reassurance.”

To offer information, call Surrey Police on 101 quoting crime reference number 45170074433, or report online at report.police.uk

To offer information anonymously, call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.