Bethnal Green sex assaults: Girl attacked three times in hour Published duration 13 October 2017

media caption Police want to speak to two men in connection with the inquiry

A teenage girl was sexually assaulted by three different men within an hour as she walked home from a night out.

Police said the 17-year-old was attacked in Bethnal Green, east London, after becoming separated from friends.

They believe the girl, who was found "distressed" by a member of the public, may also have been drugged.

Images have been released of two men police want to speak to in connection with the attacks, which happened on the night of 29 and 30 September.

image copyright Met police image caption Police want to speak to a bearded man who was on a racing bike

The victim was spotted on camera shortly before midnight being carried by a man, who was wearing dark clothing, in Cambridge Heath Road.

The pair appeared to go into a doorway on the same road, and some of the girl's clothing was later found nearby.

'Bow-legged' man

Shortly after midnight, the girl was seen on CCTV stumbling down Mint Street, followed by another man on a racing bike who is described as having a beard and wearing a baseball cap backwards and a hooded zipped jacket.

She was then attacked for a second time.

Minutes later, detectives believe the girl suffered a third attack, possibly involving two or three men.

They say she was approached by a third man, who police describe as walking unevenly, "perhaps being slightly bow-legged".

image copyright Met Police image caption The man with a beard was wearing a baseball cap backwards

Police say she was then found by a member of the public who saw her lying in Corfield Street in "a state of distress" and rang 999.

Det Insp Suzanne Jordan said: "This is a horrific multiple sexual assault on an young female who was simply making her way home after a night out.

"We would like to thank the members of the public who intervened to help her and possibly prevented her ordeal from continuing even further."

She urged anyone with information about the "hideous crimes" to contact them urgently.