A schoolgirl fought off a man 20 years her senior when he grabbed her in a park in Sussex, by using her martial arts skills.

The 14-year-old was walking home through Tilgate Park in Crawley when a 35-year-old man took hold of her from behind, police told ITV News.

Having studied martial arts for many years, the teenager was able to escape from her 5ft-7inch attacker before punching and kicking him.

Sussex Police arrested the man shortly after the attempted attack on Saturday morning and are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.

Detective Inspector Andy Bennett of Sussex Police told ITV News: “Although we have made an arrest, we need to speak to anyone who was in Tilgate Park on Saturday morning and saw what happened.