POLICE are searching for two youths who sexually assaulted a teenage girl after a football kick-about.

She was playing with friends near the Glover's Needle when another group of teenagers joined them. They later moved towards Diglis Basin. The girl was attacked after her friends drifted away and she was left alone with the two youths - one white and one black. She escaped without serious injuries.

Police hope descriptions of the teenagers, one of whom wore a Chinese-lettering tattoo, will help identify them. They are also checking security cameras for clues to the incident, which happened at about 3pm on Thursday.

A police spokesman said the girl had been sitting with a group of about eight friends on the second level of steps leading to the gardens of St Andrew's church.

"The youths in the group were playing football and were joined by about six more youths, including the two offenders, who had been sitting nearby drinking.

"Afterwards, the two groups joined together and were drinking and chatting.

"The assault happened when the victim later found herself alone with the two on the river path near Diglis Basin.

"Both of the youths we want to interview have Birmingham accents, but they may be living somewhere else."

He urged anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area at the time, or recognised the descriptions of the youths, to contact Worcester police

on 08457 444888, quoting 182-C-230605.

Police have issued detailed descriptions:

The white youth, believed to be called Noel, was aged around 17.

He was about 6ft 5ins tall, of skinny build, with light brown, short hair. He was clean-shaven with side-burns, had blue eyes, a sunburnt face and back, and hairless chest.

He was wearing cotton-type navy-blue baggy tracksuit bottoms and black and yellow Nike Shocks trainers.

The second youth, whose name is thought to be Kyle, was black, aged about 16, about 5ft 3ins tall, of stocky athletic build, and had short black Afro-style hair which was slightly longer at the back.

He had stubble above his top lip, but the rest of his face was clean-shaven and he had a clear complexion.

He also had a tattoo of Chinese lettering, spelling out 'spring roll' on his left arm.

He was wearing black, baggy jeans that hung on his hips, revealing bright yellow boxer shorts.

In a separate incident, a woman in Malvern was sexually assaulted by two men as she walked along Elgar Avenue at about midnight on Saturday.

The woman was not injured in the incident, but was very distressed.

A police spokesman said anybody who was in the area at the time and saw anything suspicious should call them on 08457 444888, quoting 25C/260605.