CHORLEY'S serial sex attacker has struck again, this time targeting his ninth victim.

In the latest incident, a 17-year-old was assaulted near Kwik Save, Bolton Street, on Saturday afternoon.

As in the first attack, the pervert was accompanied by a boy, aged about 10. He grabbed her chest and made an indecent remark before running off when the girl hit out at him with her umbrella.

Despite drafting in more officers, police continue to search for the teenaged attacker who, it is feared, could go on to carry out more serious assaults on women if he is not caught soon.

Their investigations have taken them into local schools.

But revealing little more, detective sergeant Mick Dagger, of Chorley Police, said officers were "following other lines of inquiry at the moment".

Police feel sure the same local teenager is responsible for the near three week spate of incidents.

He is described as aged about 14 or 15, 5ft 10ins tall, with ginger or brown hair.

Det sgt Dagger said: "Numerous names have been put forward fitting that description, but there's a lot of 14-15-year-olds with brown or ginger hair."

He said local teenagers singled out would be interviewed if necessary.

Police in the town have been carrying out "high profile" policing in an effort to track down the sex pest who first struck on Saturday, October 20, in Astley Park, flashing at a woman and running off after grabbing her chest.

And in another incident on Thursday, November 1, a woman walking home along Brooke Street was assaulted, not far from where other attacks had taken place.

Mr Dagger added: "He's targeting females who are walking alone when there's no other people about."

And he urged any woman who is attacked to shout out.

"If anybody is assaulted by him, be vociferous and try to let other people about know and shout at him, because he's run off when that's happened."

Sgt Dagger urged women not to panic. He said although the attacks were "serious and traumatic" for the victims, the assaults were not of a "heinous" nature.

Chorley Borough councillor Marie Gray, a representative on Chorley and District Victim Support, which is urging women not to walk alone at night and to consider carrying attack alarms, said: "All victims of crime, providing they are reported to police, will be referred to Victim Support.

"Victim Support will then write to offer help to all victims. Some might like counselling. Victim Support would organise a visit to them and any ongoing help.