Girl, 8, suffers park sex threats

An elderly man made sexually explicit suggestions to an eight-year-old girl in a Darlington park, police said.

The girl was walking her dog in West Park when she became involved in a "confrontation" with the man, who is thought to be aged his 70s.

A police spokesman said the girl was left unhurt but "extremely distressed" by the incident on Sunday afternoon.

The offender is white, has a brown and grey beard or stubble and a silver hooped earring.

He had a dark coloured bicycle and was wearing a dark blue long-sleeved jacket, blue jeans and white trainers.

At the time of the incident, the girl saw two other youngsters walking a dog and there was also a woman with a black poodle.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police.