New leads after attacks

One victim suffered severe facial injuries

Detectives investigating late night attacks on women in Blackpool are following up 20 new leads following a nationwide TV appeal.

Lancashire Police said almost 100 calls were received about the attacks - understood to have been carried out by the same man - after they were featured on the BBC's Crimewatch programme.

Officers said they have received names of possible suspects involved in the attacks in July and August this year, one of which left a woman with serious facial injuries when she was battered with a brick.

An investigating team was expected to follow up the leads throughout the next two days, following the appeal on Wednesday night.

Detective inspector Steve Atkinson said the team was being briefed on Thursday morning.

Mobile phone

He told BBC Radio Lancashire: "We'll just work through those calls and obviously prioritise them, to see what we've got.

"Two of the names we've received previously, but it's too early to say whether we've got any strong leads at this moment in time."

Reconstructions of both attacks were featured on the programme, which happened about a month apart.

In the first incident, in July, the victim was talking on a mobile phone to her boyfriend when the man hit her with the brick in West Park Drive.

Her boyfriend heard her shout "Get off!" just before the line went dead.

The second attack took place in Newton Drive, near to the site of the previous assault.