POLICE investigating a sexual assault at Redditch have issued a new appeal in a bid to trace the occupants of a silver car who may have important information.

It is believed the car was making its way along Headless Cross Drive some time between midnight on Saturday and 12.45am on Sunday morning and may have slowed down as it passed a woman near the water tower there.

The sexual assault took place at around midnight on Saturday when a woman in her 20s was confronted by a male in an underpass leading from near the recycling bins on the Tesco car park through to Mickleton Close, Oakenshaw.

A motorist found her later in a distressed state in Evesham Road.

Detective Inspector Leighton Harding of Redditch CID said: “There is no suggestion that anyone in the silver car in Headless Cross Drive was involved in the offence but we are trying to build as detailed a picture as possible of what happened that night. The vehicle’s occupants may have seen this woman and I would urge them to come forward and help our investigation.”

Police have already appealed to find another possible witness, a man who was near Evesham Road when the woman was found. He was wearing a cap and dark coloured body warmer over a red and black striped jumper.

Det Insp Harding added: “We also want to trace anyone else who was out and about in that vicinity between midnight on Saturday and 12.45am on Sunday morning – and especially if they saw or heard anything unusual near the underpass by Mickleton Close. I would urge people to come forward if they remember anything at all which could potentially help us.”

Detectives can be contacted at Redditch CID on the non-emergency number 101, quoting incident reference 9-N-030313, or details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.