"Vicious" New Year Attack: Teenage Girl Hospitalised

Police are hunting a “vicious” New Year's thug, who left a young woman in critical condition hours into 2016.

Detectives have released this CCTV image of the man they want to speak with following the serious assault in Deptford, south-east London.

Police were called to a south London hospital at around 6.20am on Friday, January 1 after a woman had been brought to the hospital by family members.

The victim, in her late teens, had been subjected to a vicious assault that left her in a critical condition.

Following treatment she is now in a stable condition.

Detectives are appealing for help to identify and trace a man seen on CCTV.

They are also appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time of the offence to contact them with what they saw or heard.

In particular, they would like to speak to two potential witnesses who would have been in the immediate vicinity of Creekside, at the junction with Deptford Church Street, between 4.50am and 4.55am.

At this stage officers retain an open mind as to any motive and enquiries continue to establish the circumstances.

Detective Sergeant Donna Caesar, of the Met's Sexual Offences Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: "This was a vicious attack on a lone woman and we urgently want to find the man responsible.

"Were you in the area of Creekside and Deptford Church Street between 03:00hrs and 06:00hrs on Friday, 1 January? Did you see anyone acting suspiciously or running in the street?

"Do you know the man in these images? If you are this man in the images we would like to speak with you.

"Are you one of two witnesses who would have been in the immediate vicinity of Creekside junction with Deptford Church Street between 04:50hrs and 04:55hrs?

"If you can assist our investigation please contact us."

Any witnesses, anyone who can identify the man in the CCTV, or anyone with any information or who saw anything suspicious, are urged to contact the incident room on 020 8721 4617 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.