Police investigating the rape of a 15-year-old girl in the sea at Bournemouth beach have made a renewed TV appeal.

She had been playing a ball game with friends when a man, who told her his name was ‘Dabby’ and he was from Birmingham, yanked her into deep water before sexually assaulting her.

The incident happened on Sunday, July 18, which was the hottest day of 2021, when the beach would have been heaving with people.

Police made the renewed appeal for help on BBC One’s Crimewatch Live.

Although a 17-year-old boy from Warwickshire was arrested in connection with the incident, he was later released without charge.

In a statement read out by an actor on Crimewatch, the victim said she had visited the beach with friends on what was the hottest day of the year.

She said: ‘We spent the day chilling out and sun bathing. It was around 4pm when we went into the water where my friends and I had a ball we were playing with.

‘One throw and it landed near next to a man – or a boy. I asked “can you give me the ball back” and he said “no”. I came closer to him and asked again – he gave it to me and I threw it to my friend.

‘He started talking to me and touching my arm – at the same time another man was making my friend uncomfortable, so she left the sea.

‘I was alone now and he started to push me out into deep water and I couldn’t feel my feet on the sea floor. It was then he started touching me.

‘No one could see what was happening and it was then that he raped me. I was in tears. I told my friend what had happened and I was really hurting so I went to the toilet.

‘Then the guy came up to me again and was asking how to contact me. Eventually my friend made him go away and that was the last I saw of him.

‘Since it happened I’ve changed a lot – I can’t face going out and I feel frightened and vulnerable. I am so scared that people will judge me for what has happened.’

Her attacker is described as possibly of Asian descent and with tanned skin, around 5ft 6ins tall and of a thin but muscular build.

His hair was short and dark, and was pushed back, looking freshly trimmed.

He also had a part-shaven left eyebrow and was wearing black or grey swimming shorts.

As part of their appeal, police revealed they have forensic evidence that means they can eliminate anyone who was not involved from their investigation.

Detective inspector Wayne Seymour said: ‘We owe it to the victim in this case to continue to explore every line of enquiry available to us and I am grateful to Crimewatch Live for helping to share our appeal again.

‘The investigative work to date indicates the suspect is believed to be from the West Midlands area and we are continuing to work with the National Crime Agency, West Midlands Police and other partner agencies.

‘We are keeping the victim and her family updated with our investigation and are doing everything we can to support them.’

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