A woman was sexually assaulted near a town centre grave yard - sparking a police investigation. 

The victim in her 30s was attacked yesterday near Southend High Street between 6.30pm and 7pm.

The man has been described as white, around 6ft tall with dark hair. He was said to be wearing dark-coloured jeans, a dark coloured top and a bomber-style jacket. 

An Essex Police spokesman said: "We are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area around this time and saw a man matching this description or saw or heard any suspicious or unusual behaviour. 

"Please reference incident 42/10919/21 when providing any information to ensure it gets to the investigating officer as quickly as possible. 

"Incidents like this are rare but we know that when things like this happen, it will understandably cause alarm in the community. 

"The victim is being looked after by specialist officers and we will be on patrol in the area, so if you have any concerns, please do speak to us."