A serial stalker has targeted five teenage girls in Sussex in seven days.

The man tried to drag one victim into a car and has assaulted others.

Police, who are linking the attacks, have warned pupils to be on their guard and have stepped up patrols in the area.

They have also released e-fit images of the attacker in a bid to catch him before he strikes again.

The man is described as Asian or Mediterranean, in his late 30s and chubby with acne scars.

He pulled up alongside a 15-year-old girl in a dark green saloon in Columbia Drive, Worthing, on November 6 at 9.45pm .

He asked the teenager if she wanted a lift and then requested a light before grabbing her wrist and trying to drag her into the car. She managed to break free and he drove off.

Last night the girl was said by detectives to have been deeply affected by her ordeal.

Detective Constable Mick Burkinshaw, of Worthing CID, said: "She won't go out on her own anymore. She was a streetwise young kid but she's now not willing to go out with someone else at night."

Police combed the area for the car, which they believe may be an Audi.

Mr Burkinshaw said: "Profile offending suggests people gradually commit worse offences.

"At the moment he has approached a couple of girls but we are keen to find this man before it does progress.

"The man is approaching the girls and trying to engage them in conversation, trying to guess their names, asking for directions and offering them a lift.

"Extra police patrols have been set up in the areas where the incidents have taken place.

"We think these incidents are linked and would appeal for anyone who recognises the man, who has seen suspicious activity, or has any information to contact us."

The attempted abduction happened near Durrington High School, The Boulevard, Worthing, where staff have been asked by police to ensure its pupils are safe when walking home.

An hour before the abduction incident, a girl was approached in the same street by a man in a car. He asked her for directions to Tesco and then asked for her name and telephone number.

On November 9, the attacker followed a girl in Chapel Road, Worthing, and tried to get her telephone number. He then grabbed her hair, pulled her towards him and tried to kiss her. She managed to escape.

Two days earlier, he pulled alongside a teenage girl as she walked in North Road, Lancing.

He tried to guess her name and offered her a lift but drove off when she refused.

The first attack known to police was on November 3, when a man walked up to a girl in Broadwater Road, Worthing, and grabbed her arms and pretended to know her name. She managed to break free.

Mr Burkinshaw, said: "All of the girls have acted sensibly, trying to keep their distance and report the matter to police."

The attacks have sparked fears among parents that their children may be next.

Mother Rueben Knight, 36, of Tarring Road, Worthing, said: "I have two daughters who go to school in Worthing and if there is someone out there snatching children, you just don't know how safe they are going to be."

Housewife Jen Smart, 30, from Sompting, said she had a teenage daughter at school in Worthing and was "anxious" that an arrest was made soon.

She said: "You just can't guarantee their safety out on the streets anymore."

Anyone with information is urged to call police on 0845 6070999 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.