A 59-year-old man has been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into a sexual assault near services on the M1.
The man was arrested at the southbound services at Leicester Forest East on suspicion of attempted rape just before 4.45pm on Tuesday 28 April. He remains in custody at this time.
The incident happened in Baines Lane – an access road which links the services with the A47 Hinckley Road – between 6.20pm and 6.40pm on Saturday (25 April).
A woman in her 20s, was grabbed from behind by a man while she walked along Baines Lane towards Hinckley Road in Leicester Forest East. She was pulled to the ground and sexually assaulted. When she began shouting for help, the man ran off towards the southbound services.
Detective Inspector Jenny Tattersall from Signal, our specialist rape and serious sexual assault team, is the senior investigating officer. She said: “I’d like to thank everyone who has come forward with information and supported our enquiries to date.
“While we’ve made an arrest, our investigation is still very much continuing. I’d urge anyone who can help but has not yet spoken to police to come forward.
“We know anyone using the services may have travelled from outside Leicestershire and I’m appealing for HGV drivers and other drivers who stopped there between 4pm and 7pm to get in touch.”
A dedicated public portal has been set up where anyone who can help can upload dashcam footage or provide information directly to the investigation team. It can be accessed here: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/33EM26I77-PO1
You can also pass on information by calling 101 and quoting reference 26*238050.
