A teenage girl has been raped as she made her way home from an end-of-school beach party near Wivenhoe.

It happened last night at around 11.30pm in bushes off the Wivenhoe Trail, a footpath which runs alongside the River Colne.

The girl and a friend had gone to an end of school term party at White House beach in Alresford but she left alone to walk back to Wivenhoe.

While on the footpath she was approached by a man who suddenly forced her into bushes and raped her.

He ran off when a number of young men heard the girl’s screams for help.

Police have now cordoned off the area for forensic investigation while the girl is being interviewed and receiving support at the Sexual Assault Referral Centre.

DI Terri Hooke, who is leading the investigation, said the suspect was in his mid or early teens, had blonde hair and was medium build.

She added: “We want to hear from anyone at the beach party who might have information about the suspect.

“We also need to talk to the young men who ran to help the girl when she started screaming.”

Anyone with information should contact DI Hooke or her colleagues at the Colchester Sexual Offences Investigation Team on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.