Police have found forensic evidence at the scene of a serious sex assault on a woman at knifepoint, a senior officer said yesterday.

Detective Superintendent Nicholas Pedro revealed that “a number of forensic items” had been detected at the scene of the attack on Fairylands Road, Pembroke.

He said that businesses and residents in the Pembroke area had turned over to police CCTV footage from Sunday morning to help police identify the assailant.

Mr Pedro added: “We have been working with the 31-year-old victim in this case and we’re pleased to say that things have been progressing well with regards to understanding from her what occurred in those early hours of Sunday morning.”

The woman was attacked as she walked to work.

A man on a red motorcycle, said to be brown-skinned and dressed in black clothing “accosted her with a knife” and committed the sex assault.

A passing jogger was thought to have disturbed the attack and the man fled the area on his motorcycle.

It is understood that the attacker may have worn a helmet with a tinted visor and the licence plate of his bike was thought to have been covered.

The assault happened on Fairylands Road near its junction with Pitts Bay Road at about 6.30am on Sunday.

The man was at first said to be 5ft 10in tall, but it later revised to 5ft 7in.

Mr Pedro, speaking at Hamilton Police Station, said that the police were following up on “multiple lines of inquiry”, such as the Sex Offenders Registry and possible witnesses, and appealed to anyone with information or CCTV footage from the area to come forward.

Mr Pedro reminded the public that a sex assault by a stranger was “extremely rare in Bermuda”, but said people should take precautions to help avoid attacks.

He also told people to be aware of their surroundings when walking alone and to stay off their phones to avoid being distracted.

Mr Pedro added that people should stick to well-lit areas when walking or parking their cars or bikes and avoid carrying expensive or valuable items that could make them a target.

Mr Pedro said that people could also take self-defence classes. He told the public to “trust your instincts” and that if people saw “something or someone that makes you feel uncomfortable, take action to avoid having that encounter or leave the area.”

He said: “I’d like to reassure the community that we are working diligently to bring the offender to justice, but we can only do this with the public’s assistance.”

• Anyone with information that could help should contact the confidential and anonymous Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-8477 or the Vulnerable Persons Unit at 247-1739 or 295-0011