AN EXTENSIVE police search was carried out in Canford Heath after a Bournemouth woman was seriously sexually assaulted.

The attack took place in the early hours of Monday morning on heathland sandwiched between Warburton Road and the Nuffield Industrial Estate.

Officers and forensic teams spent the next two days conducting a detailed investigation of the area.

They are now appealing for anyone with information about the incident to come forward.

Police received a report at around 7am on Monday that a woman in her 20s had been subjected to a serious sexual assault in Canford Heath.

The woman suffered minor injuries in the attack.

No arrests have been made and no description of the man has been released so far.

At its peak, the search operation numbered around 20 officers.

A police spokesman told the Daily Echo the investigations involved a hunt for evidence and not a suspect.

The search was wound down at lunchtime on Tuesday.

Concerned residents from Warburton Road, which runs off Adastral Road, opposite The Pilot pub, expressed shock at news of the incident.

Stuart McBride, of Downland Place, off Warburton Road, told the Daily Echo: “I have a little girl and young children do play out there, so to think there might be someone in the area who could do something like this is quite concerning.”

The searched area lies close to five of Canford Heath’s schools.

Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police on 01202 222222.