A brave teenager lashed out and managed to fight off a man who had indecently assaulted her in the street.

The attacker limped off after the plucky 16-year-old punched and kicked him hard when he grabbed her around the neck.

The victim was approached as she walked home along Queensway, Southend, between midnight and 1am on Friday.

A spokesman for Southend police said: "The man asked her if she knew where the nearest cashpoint was and she offered to show him.

"As they walked along he grabbed her and pushed her against a wall.

"He then indecently assaulted her. The victim fought back and punched him. When he put his hands around her neck she kicked out, broke free and ran off.

"The man was last seen limping towards the Park Road area of Southend."

The girl was not injured but was seriously shocked. She rushed home and alerted police.

The attacker was dark-skinned and told his victim he was from Morocco.

He was slim, in his late 20 to early 30s and 6ft tall. He had short curly hair and a moustache.

Police want to hear from anyone else who thinks they too have been approached by this man.

If you have information which may help, call the crime management unit at Southend police on 01702 431212 quoting reference C95 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.