Police fear a child sex pervert is on the prowl after an 11-year-old girl was indecently assaulted.

He approached the victim while she was playing in an arcade on Brighton Pier, Brighton.

The man, with a stubble beard and wearing a red, black and blue-striped T-shirt and jeans, befriended the girl and put money in a games machine for her to play.

He indecently touched her and walked away, returning later to talk to her again.

The girl, accompanied by her younger brother, left the pier and re-joined her mother at a seafront cafe.

Detective Constable Jo Wainwright, of the Brighton police Child Protection Team, said: "We are concerned that with school holidays this man may approach other children."

Police are anxious to speak to a woman who witnessed the assault and asked the girl to wait outside the pier while she alerted security officers.

Brighton Pier management has handed tapes from security cameras to police, The incident happened between 4.30pm and 5.30pm on July 29, but was only recently reported to police.

Detectives are appealing for the woman who witnessed the assault and anyone else with information to contact WDC Wainwright on 0845 6070 999.

The offender has black-grey shaved hair and wore thin-framed glasses.