Police investigating a reported assault on a teenage girl in

a Hartlepool park are appealing for information and CCTV footage.The incident was reported to have happened between 8pm and

8.30pm yesterday (July 21) in the town’s Ward Jackson Park, Elwick Road.A 13-year-old girl reported being approached by a group of

around 10 males, thought to be in their later teens, likely aged between 15 and

16, who hit her with a stick, causing injuries to her neck which required

hospital treatment.The girl was also punched to the face and her bicycle was

damaged.Police are appealing for anyone who may have been in the

area at that time or has CCTV footage which may assist to upload the footage to the link below or call 101, reference

118044.Hartlepool Neighbourhood Policing Team will be conducting

regular reassurance patrols in the area of the park.Inspector Matt Reeves from Hartlepool Neighbourhood Policing

Team said: “Officers investigating this incident want to appeal directly to

parents. If they know their son was in the park at this time we want them to

speak to us.“This is an upsetting report of an incident involving a

large group of males assaulting a younger female. We are committed to

identifying all those involved and there will be a regular police presence in

the park area.”