A woman in her 20s was walking down Christchurch Road and was near to the junction with St John’s Road at around 1am on Friday 2 July when a man approached her and put his arm around her. He gripped her tightly and walked her to a nearby taxi rank.

The woman called for help and three men who were waiting at the taxi rank intervened, giving the woman a chance to flee the scene.

The offender is described as being around five feet seven inches tall, of stocky build and with dark hair and stubble. He spoke with a foreign accent.

Police Constable Zachary Dredge, of Bournemouth police, said: “This must have been a distressing incident for the victim and we are carrying out a full investigation into this matter.

“I would urge any witnesses to the incident to please come forward and I am particularly keen to speak to the three men who came to the aid of the victim.

“I would also urge anyone who was driving in the area and has dashcam fitted to their vehicle to please check their footage for anything relevant.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55210105108. Alternatively, to stay 100 per cent anonymous, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or call freephone 0800 555 111.