A 22-year-old woman was assaulted as she walked home through the Bruntsfield area of Edinburgh on Sunday 26 October.

The victim, who was walking along Whitehouse Loan before turning into a small side street leading to Bruntsfield Links, was grabbed from behind by the male assailant at approximately 10.30pm.

She immediately screamed, and in doing so alerted two men who were walking down Bruntsfield Place. The men rushed to the young woman’s aid, at which point the attacker fled towards the meadows. He is described as being between 5ft 8in and 6ft tall and of a medium build.

A police spokesman said: “We are obviously very concerned at the manner in which this young woman was assaulted, and we are anxious to track down the man responsible.

“We are particularly keen to speak to the two men who rushed to her aid, as they may hold vital information to assist our enquiries.

“Similarly, anyone else who witnessed the incident, or noticed anyone behaving suspiciously in the area at the time, should get in touch immediately.”