Image of man wanted following a racist attack in Ilford.

Police investigating an unprovoked assault on a woman in Ilford have released an image of a man they would like to trace as part of their investigation.

The attack happened as the woman, aged in her 20s, walked down Ilford High Road at around 03:30hrs on 22 December 2020.

A man shouted at her and then began to follow her. As she walked on he caught up with her and punched her in the face. 

Fearing further violence, the woman engaged with her attacker in an attempt to calm him down. He then walked away from the scene.

Due to comment made by the suspect, this incident is being treated as a racially motivated attack.

Detective Constable Tom Sewell of the East Area Command Unit said:

“We have been working tirelessly through our existing channels to identify this man but sadly to no avail. 

“We are now asking the public for their assistance to identify him – do you recognise the man in this picture? If you do, please contact police immediately.

“Tackling violence on our streets remains a top priority for the Met, particularly violence targeting women and girls. My team is committed to doing everything we can to keep women and girls safe in our community.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or tweet @MetCC and quote CAD2539/17MAR22 . Alternatively, you can provide information to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.