areas in the early hours of this morning in their bid to catch the sex attacker who struck a week ago.

Extra patrols were out in force along Middle Road and both car drivers and motorcyclists were randomly stopped by officers searching for new clues.

There have been three sex attacks in the Southampton area in about six weeks, the latest two occurring just last week.

The last attack happened between 3.45 a.m. and 4 a.m. last Saturday as a 29-year-old woman was making her way home.

She was walking along Middle Road, near Warwick Lanes, in Warwick, when she accepted a ride from a male motorcyclist.

However, she became concerned and jumped off the bike when he failed to follow directions. Moments later, however, as she was walking past the Jehovah's Witness church at Heron Bay, she was grabbed from behind, dragged into nearby bushes and sexually assaulted.

Leading the investigation Detective Chief Inspector Carlton Adams said officers would be out in force talking to drivers to see if anyone was in the area at the same time last week who can shed any light on the attacker.

But in the meantime, he urged women to exercise caution and to report anything they see or hear that is suspicious.

He said: "We have made some progress with the investigation and have had assistance from members of the public.

"We have got greater Police visibility in that area and are doing an exercise in the early hours, exactly a week after it happened, where officers will be randomly stopping traffic to jog the memories of drivers and find out if they were passing by at the same time last week.

"If anybody knows anything at all, or is suspicious, they should tell Police.'' However, he said women should also be more vigilant and careful about when and how they travel at night.

He added: "I would say that young women, in particular, should not travel at night without an escort and I would discourage women from walking alone in unlit areas after dark.

"If anybody thinks they might have information, no matter how small or insignificant they think it is, they should get in touch with us.'' Investigations are also on going into the serious sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman along the Railway Trail in Southampton on Tuesday of last week.

She was walking along Tribe Road Number two at about 5.30 p.m. when a man approached her. The pair greeted each other, but then the attacker grabbed her and forced her to the ground before assaulting her.

Anyone with information about either assault should call Police on 295-0011, or call CrimeStoppers anonymously on 1-800-623-8477.

*A man has been arrested and charged in connection with a sexual assault on a woman in her home in the Horseshoe Bay area of Southampton at the end of August.

Anthony Bovell, 19, has pleaded guilty to burglary, sexual assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He is due to be sentenced at Magistrates Court next month.