THIS IS the man police believe may hold vital clues about an indecent assault on a Southampton teenager.

Detectives in Bitterne investigating the sexual assault of an 18-year-old woman earlier this month have today released CCTV footage of a man that they are keen to speak to.

The young woman was waiting by a bus stop in High Road, Swaythling , when a gang of four men, who were thought to be Polish, approached her at around 7.30pm on September 2.

One of the men made obscene comments and gestures to her and indecently assaulted her.

Since the incident a team of officers have been trawling CCTV footage from the area and would like to speak to the man seen in this image who was in the area around the time of the assault.

He is white, of a medium build and is seen wearing a black baseball cap and a dark coloured tracksuit with white stripes down the arms and legs. The footage shows him walking into a newsagents with another man.

A few moments later he appears at the till with two bottles of drink and can be seen leaning on the counter as he waits to pay.

Once he pays he heads back into the shop, before heading out on his own.

He is then seen hanging outside of the shop with two other men.

Detective Constable Steve Lanham said: “We know this man was in the area around the time of the incident, and we believe he has information that could help our investigation.

“We also would like to hear from anyone who saw him in the High Road area about the time of the incident.”

Anyone with information or who recognises the man in the footage should contact Bitterne CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.