Serial attacker 'petrified' woman

Dee Harrison said the attack left her in a state of "sheer panic"

A victim of a serial attacker who has struck 10 times in Hastings, Sussex, has told how the man approached her and smashed a glass bottle in her face.

Dee Harrison was walking home when the attack happened in Priory Avenue at 0100 BST last Friday.

She said it left her "petrified", and "scared to go out", and she hoped the offender knew police would catch him.

The 25-year-old warned other women not to go out alone, and to stay in groups, to make themselves "less vulnerable".

Ms Harrison said: "I realised he was approaching me and tried to walk a bit quicker, and didn't think much of it until he said 'excuse me', by which time he'd hit me.

"I didn't know what was going on - just sheer panic really.

"I just wanted to get home and try and sort myself out."

Ms Harrison said she had always walked home alone at night and never thought anything would happen to her.

"It's sort of petrified me, really, and affected my life.

Police placed a mannequin at the attack scene to jog memories

"Obviously I'm going to be scared to go out at night now.

"I just hope he realises what he's doing and hope that he's going to get caught and hope someone close to him knows who he is and hands him in."

Police have placed a mannequin at the spot where the man was seen, and dressed in clothing similar to his, in the hope that people will come forward with information.

The victims have all been assaulted late at night, or in the early hours, and have either been grabbed, punched, or hit on the head with a weapon, leaving them with cuts - some serious - and bruises.

The first attack was in June 2007, and the latest was on Wednesday, when police confirmed the assaults were all being linked to one man.

Police say the attacks do not appear to be sexually motivated, and do not involve theft.