Police stepped up patrols in Great Yarmouth after two teenage girls were reported raped near South Beach Parade in the early hours of Saturday, and officers later arrested a man in his 30s in Northamptonshire on suspicion of rape.
Norfolk Police said the arrest was made on Sunday, but a second suspect remains outstanding. The force said the man it is still seeking is white, in his 30s or 40s, with short dark hair and dark facial hair, and was wearing blue jeans and a dark green jacket with a white stripe on both sleeves.
Officers were called to South Beach Parade shortly after 00:30 BST on Saturday. A police cordon near Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach was later lifted after inquiries were carried out, while specialist officers were deployed to support both girls.
Nick Paling said: “We recognise how shocking and distressing these incidents are for the victims, their families, and the wider community.” He added that specialist officers had been deployed to support both girls as detectives worked through the investigation.
The attack happened in an area that is normally busy with visitors, close to Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, and police said there would be increased patrols in the town as well as reassurance patrols in the area. That is now the immediate response while investigators try to identify the second man.
Norfolk Police said “a second suspect currently remains outstanding and significant efforts are under way to identify and locate him.” The force has asked witnesses, or anyone with information, to come forward. The case now turns on whether the public can help close the gap between the arrest already made and the suspect police are still searching for.
