THIS is an image of the man police are hunting in connection with a series of sexual assaults against teenage schoolgirls.

Detectives are looking a slim, greying white man in his 30s who they suspect is responsible for at least 23 attacks on girls in uniform, across Enfield, Barnet, Waltham Forest and Redbridge.

With one exception, all the girls were aged between 12 and 15 and in the vast majority of cases were on their way to school. Some of the girls were targeted more than once.

The man approaches his victims from behind, tries to lift their skirts and in some cases, touches their legs or bottom before running off.

Police know of ten attacks which took part in various locations in the borough, in Enfield, Southgate, Winchmore Hill and New Southgate.

Detective Inspector Caroline Haines, from Enfield Police’s Sapphire team is leading the investigation.

She said there was no obvious pattern to the attacks and although there were sometimes schools nearby the suspect did not target schools in particular.

The girls were also “mixed in every type of way” - of different builds and ethnicities and wearing different kinds of uniforms.

“The effect on the girls has been varying. Some girls have been distressed by what’s happened in particularly those who had been aware that they had been sexually assaulted,” she said, adding that other victims had not even realised they had been targeted until they heard of other assaults.

“It’s had an effect on some of the victims and they are given support by the police.”

But she wanted to reassure both girls and parents that there was no evidence of violence or children being snatched from the streets. She said: “I understand that the community are concerned about the safety of children on their way to school but the level of sexual contact was low.

“It’s clearly disturbing in some cases but it’s fair to say there’s no escalation in terms of danger.”

She said the Sapphire team had been working hard to identify victims through witness appeals in schools, as well as promoting safety messages through dedicated safer schools officers.

She appealed for witnesses to come forward by calling the Sapphire Unit on 020 8345 4326 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Have you been a victim of the attacker or do you know someone affected? Contact reporter Sarah Cosgrove on 020 8884 7415 or email scosgrove@london.newsquest.co.uk. We will not reveal identities.