A TEENAGE girl was sexually assaulted and her friends attacked as they walked home in Eastham on Sunday morning.

Police were called to the junction of Raeburn Avenue and Elgar Avenue at around 4.30am after reports that a man had been assaulted.

On arrival, officers found three males – aged 17, 18 and 19 – with facial and head injuries.

They also found a 17-year-old girl who had been subjected to a serious sexual assault.

All four received medical treatment and the 19-year-old remains in hospital at the present time. The girl is also receiving on-going support from the force's specialist Unity Team.

All four people had been socialising with friends in the area that night and all reported having been attacked by the same individual as they walked home.

A search and enquiries were undertaken in the local area resulting in an 18-year-old man being arrested in connection with the incident that morning.

The scene has been cordoned off for examination and house-to-house enquiries are on-going in the area.

Detective Sergeant Paul Hampson said: "This was a terrible incident and all four individuals have been left distressed by their ordeals.

"I would like to reassure the local community that incidents like this are thankfully very rare and neighbourhood officers will be patrolling this area.

"We are determined to bring the person responsible to justice but we need the public's help. I would urge anyone who may have witnessed this incident, anyone who may have seen a man acting suspiciously around that time in the local area or anyone with information to get in touch.

"Information that seems trivial to them may turn out to be crucial for our investigation."

The 18-year-old remains in police custody and an investigation into the full circumstances of the incident is on-going.

Anyone with information should call Merseyside Police on 0151 777 3294 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.