E-fit plea over stair sex attack

The attacker wore a distinctive grey cloth cap

Eight months after a sex attacker assaulted a woman in an Edinburgh stairwell, police have released an e-fit of a man they want to question.

The incident took place in a stairwell in Polwarth Gardens at about 0340 GMT on Saturday, 25 June 2005.

The 20-year-old victim had been dropped off by a taxi when a man followed her into her tenement stairwell and indecently assaulted her.

He was described as being 20-25 years old, 5ft 11in tall with dark hair.

Victim injured head

The victim managed to put up a struggle and her attacker fled in the direction of Yeaman Place.

During the fight the woman's head was struck against a wall.

In an effort to jog people's memory, a Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said the Glastonbury rock festival was taking place that weekend.

He said: "We hope issuing this likeness of the suspect may jog someone's memory and lead to witnesses coming forward.

We also need to trace two people who were waiting for a night bus at the bus stop near John Kerr Court Lothian and Borders Police spokesman

"This was a frightening incident for the victim who was followed into her common stair by her attacker.

"It's possible, given the attack took place at 3.40am, the attacker may have been in some of the nightclubs in the Lothian Road/Tollcross/Grassmarket area."

The spokesman added: "We still haven't been able to trace the taxi driver who picked up the victim near the Fountain Brewery in Fountainbridge and then dropped her off in Polwarth Gardens.

"We would still like to speak to him as he may well have seen the attacker.

"We also need to trace two people who were waiting for a night bus at the bus stop near John Kerr Court as we believe the suspect made his way past them after the attack."

The suspect was also described as being of slim/medium build, with long sideburns and was wearing a dark suit jacket, black shirt, dark trousers and shoes.

He spoke good English but with a foreign accent. At the time of the assault he was wearing a grey cloth cap.