Police appeal for information following report of predatory behaviour

• Identity sought of man who is reported to have approached a young girl in woodland area and threatened her
• We are patrolling the area for reassurance 
• At the moment, this is being treated as an isolated incident 

On Tuesday 16 April 2024, we were made aware of a report where a man threatened a young girl to sexually expose herself.

A teenage girl was walking down Hartley Lane at around 12:30pm in the afternoon when she was approached by a man who threatened her.

The man is described as white, 30 to 40-years old, approximately 5ft 8in tall, with fluffy black hair in a top knot style. He is medium build and was wearing a navy jacket with a white t shirt and blue jeans.

Pictured is a map where we believe the incident to have taken place, on the path between the woodland area.

We are keen to speak to anyone who lives in the surrounding area, or may have been in the area that day, who may have CCTV, Dashcam or doorbell footage which is relevant to our investigation.

The incident is believed to be isolated at this time.

Detective Constable Lee from GMP Rochdale district said: “We are determined to find who has committed this offence. Local patrols are aware of this incident and have patrol plans in place to provide reassurance.

“This happened in clear daylight so there may well have been people who were in the area and either saw what happened or saw the man. It is possible he may have been in the area for some time. If you did see him, please call us.

“If you have any information, no matter how small it may seem, it could be crucial to our investigation.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting log 1454 of 16/04/24. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.