A PERVERT who groped a young girl in a town centre book shop could be a long-term serial offender, it has been revealed.Police launched a full-scale investigation after a 12-year-old was touched by a man in the children's section of Waterstones in Bury St Edmunds on October 2.

A PERVERT who groped a young girl in a town centre book shop could be a long-term serial offender, it has been revealed.

Police launched an investigation after a 12-year-old was touched by a man in the children's section of Waterstone's in Bury St Edmunds on October 2.

They have now revealed they are looking at the possibility the attacker may be responsible for a similar incident in Newmarket earlier this month, or offences taking place in other parts of Suffolk and surrounding areas dating back as far as a decade.

Investigating officer Pc Mark Ellis said appeals for information had yielded a number of calls from members of the public, claiming they recognised the attacker from his description.

He said: “One lady called us saying she recognised the description of the attacker in relation to an incident that happened ten or 11 years ago.

“Any information we receive is inputted into a national computer database, and is then looked at in relation to similar offences that have occurred elsewhere in the country.”

The attacker, who ran off in the direction of the town's Buttermarket after fleeing the store, is described as being white, in his 40s, of average build, around 5ft 7ins tall, with very short grey hair and was unshaven.

A 59-year-old man initially arrested in relation to both the Waterstones attack and the one in Newmarket - involving a 12-year-old girl in Bakers Oven - has had his bail cancelled and is no longer under suspicion.