Police have released this picture of a man who subjected a 19-year-old woman to a serious sexual assault while she was on the phone to her boyfriend.

The victim of the attack, which happened on Friday, April 16, has spoken out about her ordeal in the hope that it will prompt others to come forward with information about her attacker.

She was assaulted as she walked to her car after a night out in Maidstone.

It happened in King Street just after midnight, and left her shaken but unhurt.

As she was on the phone to her boyfriend when she was grabbed by the man, he heard the entire attack as it took place.

She said: “I’d been in Beluga Bar that evening.

“Although my friends offered to walk me to my car I told them I would be OK and as I left I rang my boyfriend on my mobile so he could keep me company as I walked back to the car.”

As she walked past the entrance to the Mall Chequers a man walking in the opposite direction suddenly grabbed her. She remembered: “He carried on walking the opposite direction but as I passed the Maidstone Gateway building he turned around started walking back towards me again.

“I was still on the phone to my boyfriend who told me to walk faster and I ran down the pedestrian ramp into the underground bus station. But he caught up with me and grabbed me again.”

The 19-year-old was pushed into an alcove at the King Street end of the bus lane where she was sexually assaulted.

During the assault the offender pulled out a £10 note, which he offered to his victim as an apparent apology for his behaviour.

Three months on she is still coming to terms with what happened. She said: “It was a terrifying ordeal and I would hate for anyone else to have to go through what I did that night.

“I hope that by speaking out I can stop this man attacking again. Perhaps someone will recognise the description of the man. Maybe they saw him earlier that night. Maybe they have seen him since. I ask them to please contact the police with any information that might help with their investigation.”

Investigating officer DC Steve Rees of Mid Kent’s area major enquiry team said: “The assault was captured on CCTV and today we are releasing an image of the offender in the hope that someone recognises him.

“He is described as being of Eastern European appearance, is of a chunky build with a very round face and shaven dark hair. He is in his late 20s or early 30s and has chunky hands. On the day of the assault he was wearing a dark-coloured waist-length zipped jacket made of a shiny material and distinctive jeans, which were dark denim although the lower half of the right leg was different, either in colour or pattern.”

Anyone with information about the assault is asked to contact DC Rees on 01795 419384 or Kent Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111 quoting crime number CY/6089/10.