A MASKED attacker jumped into a parked car and assaulted the female passenger in front of a child - before fleeing into the sea. 

His body was found 12 days later.

Eyewitnesses have described hearing ‘shouting and screaming’ as the shocking series of events unfolded on Portland, with neighbours rushing to help the woman and child as residents formed search parties in a failed attempt to find the culprit.

A police helicopter was brought in to aid the search, but the attacker entered the sea at Church Ope Cove. His body was discovered 12 days later at Durdle Pier.

A teenage eyewitness to the drama, which took place outside the Co-op store in Easton Square, said: “At about 9pm a middle-aged man attempted to steal a car with a woman and child still inside.

“The father was at the time in the Co-op store, at the tills. The man, wearing a doctor’s mask, approached the car, knocked on the window and said, ‘hi’. The woman had panicked and took the keys from the ignition, and the man tried to get into the car, making the woman and the girl scream and then go running into the Co-op and hiding behind the tills with one of the servers. The father and another man ran outside but the thief ran away.”

Another witness described seeing an angry-looking man outside the Co-op store. They said: “He looked through the drive side window and said hello to the woman, then she went for the car keys as she was trying to grab them he got in her car and assaulted her. Luckily, the little girl ran out of the car to the Co-op.

Witnesses said the woman and young girl, believed to be aged around six or seven years of age were comforted by nearby residents while others searched the area for the culprit.

Dorset Police confirmed officers were called to an attempted theft of a motor vehicle and assault outside the Co-op store in Easton Square on Portland at 9.22pm on July 19.

A spokesman said: “It is reported the male suspect made off from the scene. A search of the area was carried out by officers, assisted by the NPAS helicopter.”

As previously reported, Dorset Police was called on the same evening to reports that a man had entered the water near the area of Church Ope Cove on Portland. Searches were carried out with support from the NPAS helicopter, RNLI, coastguard and Dorset Search and Rescue. Police have confirmed they believe a body found on July 31 was linked to the assault and attempted car theft on July 19.