Woman sexually assaulted in vehicle at bus stop

A woman in her 30s has been sexually assaulted in a layby after getting into a vehicle, police say.

The victim had been in Bognor Regis town centre in West Sussex on Thursday evening when she entered a vehicle near the Tesco Express store in Station Road, Sussex Police said.

The vehicle, believed to silver or grey, stopped in a layby bus stop on the A259 near the junction with Marsh Lane in Merston where the driver then sexually assaulted the victim sometime between 23:30 GMT on Thursday and 01:00 on Friday, police said.

The driver is described as a man in his 30s or 40s, of South Asian ethnicity, and with short, dark, curly hair.

The victim was able to run to safety before reporting the incident, police said.

Officers are keen to trace anyone who may have been in the Station Road area near Tesco, or anyone who may have seen the vehicle as it left Bognor Regis.

Ch Insp Adam McCaig, Arun and Chichester district commander, said: "We continue to work closely with our partners as the investigation progresses and will have officers conducting additional patrols across the area over the weekend to provide reassurance."

Anyone who has dash cam or doorbell camera footage is asked to contact police.

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