An 11-year-old boy has been arrested after a woman and 14-year-old girl were indecently assaulted during a series of incidents in Bristol
Three other women were approached by a person with a knife, police said.
Avon and Somerset Police said the five incidents happened in the Redcliff and Montpelier areas of Bristol between 20 and 25 March.
Detectives are treating the incidents as potentially linked due to the locations where they took place and some similarities in the descriptions of the suspect.
The force said an 11-year-old boy had been arrested in connection with the incidents. He has since been released on bail.
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Acting Chief Inspector Tom Gent, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: “We continue to carry out inquiries into each of these incidents and remain open minded as to whether they are linked.
“The individual we have arrested is a child and we have interviewed him alongside an appropriate adult to see if he has any information about the incidents which could help our investigation.”
He said the force was also engaging with local partners as part of its safeguarding responsibilities.
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“The nature of the offences is concerning and officers continue to target their patrols to provide reassurance and to act as a deterrent,” he added.
The arrest followed a public appeal for witnesses to the incidents, and any footage that could help officers in their investigation.