DETECTIVES want to speak to this man in connection with a hammer attack that left a teenage girl seriously injured in a Southampton hospital.

The 17-year-old was rushed to Southampton General Hospital with head injuries and officers taped off a row of terraced houses following the attack.

Officers released an e-fit and have now revealed two CCTV images of a man they want to speak to.

The incident happened at about 7pm on Monday, April 11, and detectives are considering whether the house on Shearer Road, Portsmouth, was specifically targeted due to links with the sex trade.

The man shown in the e-fit was seen running across Shearer Road and into Beecham Road past the Shearer Arms pub shortly after the incident.

And now police say they believe the man was in the area of Commercial Road and Edinburgh Road in Portsmouth on Saturday, April 9.

He is described as being white, of small or medium build, five feet five inches tall, has short light brown hair and a short beard, and was wearing a brown coat, jeans, and light-coloured trainers.

Detective Chief Inspector Liz Williams of the Major Crime Team said: “We need to speak to anyone who recognises the man in this CCTV image.

“A number of lines of enquiry continue to be progressed, I’d urge anyone who witnessed the assault itself or can help us identify the man in this image to make contact as soon as possible.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting Operation Gather or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.