A three-year-old girl has been sexually assault in woodland on the Isle of Wight.
Hampshire Police say the child was subjected to a ‘serious sexual offence’ at Fort Victoria Country Park near Yarmouth at around 3pm yesterday, Bank Holiday Monday.
Police initially responded to the incident alongside a police helicopter, with a search stretching to the Wightlink ferry terminal at Yarmouth and later to Lymington on the mainland.
A 60-year-old man from the island has been arrested and remains in custody.
A large crime scene remains in place more than 24 hours on, as forensics continue to examine the area. Public toilets close to the area in which the attack happened have been cordoned off.
Detective Chief Inspector Liam Davies has said: “This was a very serious incident and there will be an increased police presence in the area whilst we examine a number of lines of enquiry.
“The child, a 3-year-old girl, and their family are receiving specialist support while we seek to establish the full circumstances of what happened.”
