A pervert is believed to have sexually assaulted two schoolgirls along the Grand Union Canal towpath in west London.

Police are hunting the paedophile who assaulted a 14-year-old girl as she walked along the waterway from Delamere Terrace, in Westbourne Green, towards Notting Hill, at around 8.20am on Thursday, January 8.

A man walked past her, then turned back and asked her to hold his dog's lead before forcing her to engage in sexual activity.

He spoke with a London accent and referred to his dog, which may have had white feet, as Monkey.

The attacker was described as a white man, who was 6ft3in tall and aged around 40, with a large red birthmark on one side of his neck.
He was wearing a black woolly hat, black tracksuit bottoms, a black tracksuit jacket and dirty white Reebok trainers.

A previous attack, which Paddington Green police believe may be linked to the first assault, took place on September 9 last year, at around 2pm.

A 15-year-old girl was assaulted as she walked along the towpath near Prince Albert Road, St John's Wood. As she made her way along the secluded path which leads towards London Zoo, the pervert approached her. He was described as overweight, and wearing a grey or navy blue tracksuit.

DC Karl Lewis, of Paddington Green police station, said: "We're keen to speak to anyone who may have witnessed either of these incidents or who was walking along the towpath on September 9 or January 8 and saw anyone matching the description of the suspect.

"In the second incident there were a number of cyclists who will have passed the victim and we would urge those people to come forward".

Anyone with information should call Paddington CID on 020 7321 9631 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.