A teenage girl is being safeguarded by specialist officers after she was sexually assualted in Braintree.

The girl was walking near a park, off Goldingham Drive, when the incident happened shortly after 9am on Monday.

A police cordon was put in place overnight as officers launched an investigation into the incident.

No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.

There will continue to be a highly visible policing presence in the area throughout Tuesday.

Detective Inspector Kevin Hughes, of Essex Police, said: "I understand there will be concern within the community as a result of this incident and my team are acutely aware of this too.

"Residents will have noticed a large policing presence in the area throughout today and that will continue throughout tonight and into tomorrow as we progress our enquiries.

"Our investigations are focused on the hour between 8am and 9am and I would appeal to anyone in the Goldingham Drive, Park Drive, Thackery Close and Forsyth Drive areas who has dashcam, doorbell or CCTV footage available to come forward and speak to us if you have not already done so."

Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact Essex Police, quoting incident number 263 of November 22.