A woman was sexually assaulted in Brighton city centre late last night.
It happened n Meeting House Lane in The Lanes area of the city.
The man had followed the woman in her twenties, a short distance from North Street. He then ran off towards Brighton Square.
The man is described as Asian in appearance, in his thirties, with short brown hair.
Detective Sergeant Jo Benton said:
"We are carrying out an intensive investigation and are currently following several lines of enquiry. The victim is being offered support by specially trained officers and at present this appears to be an isolated incident with no link to any other offences.
"If you were in the area of North Street and the Lanes late on Thursday night, into Friday morning, and saw any suspicious activity, please get in touch with us either online or by calling 101, quoting Operation Fenton.
"We are also increasing patrols in the area and anyone with concerns about their safety can talk to the officers at any time. If you do see something suspicious happening then dial 999 right away. "
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