Detectives are hunting for an attacker who dragged a woman into a garden in north London.
Metropolitan Police were scrambled to Manor Park Gardens in Barnet just before 10.30pm on Thursday.
Police were called by a member of the public who had found the woman partially clothed and saw a suspect running away from the scene.
The victim, in her 20s, was walking along the road when the suspect, who was hiding in a garden, jumped out and dragged her into the garden, she told police.
She is being supported by specialist officers while police are trawling through CCTV footage from streets around the crime scene.
Detective Inspector Richard Lewsley, from the North West Area’s Public Protection team, said: “I understand that this a shocking and deeply concerning incident.
“I’d like to reassure the local community that we are treating this as an absolute priority and my officers are working tirelessly to apprehend the suspect.
“We are appealing to the public to help us find the suspect as quickly as possible. We are especially keen to speak to anyone who was in the Manor Park Gardens area between about 22:15hrs and 22:30hrs who may have seen the suspect running from the area.
“Any information you have, no matter how insignificant you think it is, could be vital to our fast-paced investigation.”
The suspect is described as a white man with a stocky build, wearing a white T-shirt and black shorts and trainers.
