Police have made an arrest after reports of a man wearing a gimp suit and terrorising a village by jumping out in front of strangers while touching his groin.

A woman in her 20s said she saw the man 'grunting and breathing heavily' while approaching her in Claverham, Somerset, last Thursday.

She pushed the man away from her and started screaming, prompting him to flee, the Mirror reports.

Police sniffer dogs and a helicopter reportedly took part in a search for the latex-clad man, however they failed to find him.

Speaking to the BBC , one victim said: "He kept coming towards me and was touching his groin, grunting and breathing heavy.

"As I tried to take a step back he was right in front of my face and he put his leg forward. I was just trying to assess the situation in my head quickly.

"Everything was running through my head. I thought: 'This is it, I'm going to get attacked'. Every time I close my eyes I just see that face."

She shared a picture of the suspect with the BBC in an effort to raise awareness about his behaviour.

The picture shows a man in a black latex suit and mask, which has crosses over the eyes and a disturbing red smile.

On Monday night, Avon and Somerset Police confirmed they had made a breakthrough after arrested a man in his 20s on suspicion of indecency offences.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said: "We’ve arrested a man in his 20s on suspicion of indecency offences in the Claverham and Yatton area.

"It follows 14 reports of a man approaching people while wearing disguises, one of which was a black body suit. ‘The man is currently in custody and inquiries into the series are ongoing."