A 12-year-old girl has been raped after she was dragged off a street and into an alleyway.
The victim was attacked by a balaclava-clad offender as she walked in Levenshulme, Manchester.
Police said the girl disclosed last week that the incident took place on Tuesday November 22 last year.
She said she was in Chapel Street near to the Horseshoe pub between 4pm and 4.30pm when she was grabbed from behind and dragged into an alleyway which runs behind Cardus Street.
The man later ran off in the direction of Stockport Road from Chapel Street, the Press Association reports.
He is described as wearing dark clothing, a woollen balaclava and was 6ft plus in height.
Police patrols have been stepped up in the area with door-to-door inquiries being conducted.
Chief Inspector John-Paul Ruffle, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “The girl is understandably very distressed and we continue to offer her our help and support.
“She was extremely brave reporting this to police and we will do everything in our power to find the man responsible for this attack.
“Detectives are currently gathering as much information as possible, while a team of officers have been speaking to residents in the local area to see if they heard or saw anything that night.
“Incidents of this nature will understandably concern the community and I want to assure you that this investigation is a priority of ours and we have a team working round the clock.
“If you think you might have seen something suspicious in the area at the time of the offence, or have any information, I would urge you to contact us.”
Anyone with information can contact police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Rape Crisis services for women and girls who have been raped or have experienced sexual violence - 0808 802 9999
Survivors UK offers support for men and boys - 0203 598 3898