A 12-year-old schoolgirl has been raped on the street by a pervert who was pretending to be a police officer who said he had to search her.

Detectives have arrested a 32-year-old suspect in connection with the attack after dark on Wednesday in Edmonton, North London, which saw the girl approached by a man riding a bike.

The individual told her that he was a policeman and that he had to search her because she fitted the description of a shoplifter who had just robbed a shop. He then pulled a knife before raping her.

Rape: Detectives have arrested a 32-year-old suspect in connection with the attack after dark on Wednesday on Sandhurst Road (above) in Edmonton, North London, which saw the girl approached by a man riding a bike

Details of the attack were revealed as the Metropolitan Police investigates a series of incidents where girls were approached by a man pretending to be an officer in nearby Hornsey last week.

And police are linking Wednesday’s rape with an incident a short walk away an hour earlier when a cyclist, again claiming to be a police officer, approached a 12-year-old girl as she was walking along.

He said she fitted the description of someone he needed to arrest and she had to go with him. When she refused he grabbed her by the wrists, but she managed to free herself and ran off.

Detective Inspector Tracey Cormack said the force is appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the offences or think they may have been approached by the man in question to tell police.

She added: ‘On Wednesday, at around 5.30pm, the teenager was walking along Sandhurst Road, when a man, who was riding a bike, approached her claiming to be a police officer.

‘He told her she fitted the description of a shoplifter and was going to search her. As he carried out this search he raped her and threatened her with a knife.’

Connection: Police are linking the rape with an incident a short walk away on Shirley Grove (above) an hour earlier when a cyclist, again claiming to be a police officer, approached a girl as she was walking along

The inspector continued: ‘Detectives are linking this attack with another incident in Shirley Grove, at around 4.30pm on Wednesday where a man on a bike approached a 12-year-old girl.

'The man claimed to be a police officer and told the girl she fitted the description of a female that he needed to arrest.

He told her she fitted the description of a shoplifter and was going to search her. As he carried out this search he raped her and threatened her with a knife Detective Inspector Tracey Cormack

‘He told her she needed to come with him to a van and when she refused he grabbed her by the wrists. He eventually let go and she managed to run off. A 32-year-old man was arrested today and is currently in custody at a North London police station.’

Officer say the suspect was not wearing any police uniform. Last week a man pretending to be a policeman approached five different schoolgirls in just 24 hours in Hornsey.

Four girls, aged 11 to 14, were approached separately by the man as they walked to school on Monday. The suspect was described as black, of a medium build and with short black hair.