Woman sexually assaulted on Fife coastal path as police hunt suspect with 'Italian accent'

A manhunt has been launched after a woman was sexually assaulted by a suspect with an Italian accent on a coastal pathway in Fife.

The assault took place at around 1pm on Wednesday, July 22, near Kingbarns beach, following which the suspect headed north in the direction of St Andrews.

According to police, the man spoke with an Italian accent, wore an orange running vest and shorts and was around 5ft 9ins with dark hair and stubble. He also had a tattoo on his right calf.

Police believe the assault is not linked to another incident that took place the day before, in which a man exposed himself to a woman in St Andrews.

Inspector Helen Manuel said: “As our enquiries continue, we would appeal to anyone who has any information that may assist our investigation, or who recognises the description of the suspect, to please contact us.

“We do not believe that this is linked to the indecent exposure incident in St Andrews on Tuesday, July 21, however, we are keeping an open mind as our investigation continues.

“We are aware that local people will be concerned by these incidents and would like to assure them that there are additional patrols in the area to offer reassurance and anyone with information or concerns should speak to officers. ”

Please contact 101, quoting incident number 1520 of July 22. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.