A MAN tried to rape a teenage girl after she got into a car she thought was a taxi.

The 18-year-old left city centre nightspot Pure in the early hours of Sunday morning and started walking home on her own.

On Miller Street, a white car pulled up alongside her and the driver asked if she was ok.

Thinking he was a taxi driver, the young woman got in the car.

The victim quickly realised that the car was not a taxi, and when she tried to get out she found the doors were locked.

The driver ignored the woman's pleas to stop and drove along Heath Street in Cheetham Hill, St Mark's Lane and onto Cheetham Hill Road.

Eventually, the driver stopped on Woodlands Street and tried to rape the woman. 

Escape

The woman struggled and managed to escape, and ran away. While she was running another driver stopped and asked if she was ok, but the woman ignored him and kept running to a friend's house where she called the police.

The attacker is described as Asian, in his mid-20s and with a slim build. He was wearing light coloured trousers and a dark top. He spoke good English with an Asian accent.

Detective Constable Jill Jones, of Grey Mare Lane CID, said: "The offender subjected his victim, a teenage girl, to a terrifying ordeal. Without wishing to cause any alarm in the community, this is clearly a man who does not care about the damage he caused to this young girl, both physically and emotionally.

"Inquiries are underway to trace and apprehend the offender and I would appeal to anyone who has information about what happened to come forward. In particular, we would like to hear from the second driver that tried to help or anyone who might have been on Woodlands Street at about the time of the attack.

"I also want to warn people going for a night out to take extra care when travelling home and to encourage them to either pre-book a licensed hire taxi, use a hackney cab or arrange for someone to collect them. Private hire cabs should not stop and collect people without them receiving a prior booking."

Anyone with information is asked to call Grey Mare Lane CID on 0161 856 3540 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Anyone who has been a victim of rape or sexual assault can contact Greater Manchester Police on 0161 872 5050 or 999 in an emergency. GMP has specially trained officers in place to provide a first class response to victims and help support them through the criminal justice process.

St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester, can also be contacted on 0161 276 6515. This provides a comprehensive and coordinated forensic, counselling and medical aftercare service to anyone in Greater Manchester who has experienced rape or sexual assault. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and people can access them either as a self-referral or via Greater Manchester Police.