A mum-of-four has told how she was approached by a stranger who cut off some of her hair as she waited for a bus in Manchester city centre after a night out. Police have confirmed an investigation is underway and revealed the worrying report was being treated as assault.
The Manchester Evening News can reveal a second report of a similar incident in Manchester, said to involve a separate woman, is also under investigation. Greater Manchester Police said they currently have no evidence to suggest the two reported cases are linked, but confirmed enquiries were ongoing.
Emma Clark, 32, who coincidentally works as a hairdresser, said the incident had left her traumatised and she won't travel on a bus again in Greater Manchester. She said she wanted to speak out to warn other women - and shared images with the M.E.N. showing long strands of her hair.
Police said 'initial enquiries' suggested Emma was approached by an unknown man who 'cut off some of her hair before walking away'. It's understood images from CCTV cameras are currently being assessed.
Emma, who had been to a show in Manchester earlier with her parents, believes the man had a pair of scissors with him and told how he was also holding an umbrella.
She was sat down at a bus stop on Oxford Road at around 10.20pm last Friday. She said: "I was sat at the bus stop when it happened. I was sat there looking to my right waiting for the bus to come.
"I felt a snip sensation and at first I thought a bee had buzzed past me or something like that.
"I quickly turned my head to the right, but he was on the left hand side of me. I think he has put his arm around me and came at me from the other side. He was very close to me and had an umbrella. I felt another catch of my hair then I saw him - he was waving his umbrella around. I got up and walked away.
"He kept acting really weird. He was shaking with his umbrella. He was alone and wearing a rain mac. I got on the bus and texted my boyfriend."
Emma, from Fallowfield, said the 'random man' was 'very sneaky' and after she got home, she realised that between 'eight to 10 inches' of her hair had been cut at one side.
Emma, who was alone at the time, added: "I tied my hair in a bobble when I got home. I have got quite long hair and it is very thick. I started to feed the baby and noticed a bit of my hair hanging out. I pulled it and lots of my hair just fell out.
"In the morning the first thing I did was report it to the police. They said they would check CCTV.
"It is an awful thing. I have already had weird things happen to me on buses and now I will never, never get on a bus again. I feel really vulnerable.
"He was very sneaky and acted like he was just shaky or had something wrong with him when I realised he'd touched me. I didn't at the time realise he'd cut my hair but he has cut eight to 10 inches off at one side."
In a statement, Greater Manchester Police told the M.E.N: "Police received a report of an assault on Oxford Road in Manchester city centre.
"Initial enquiries suggest that the victim was approached by an unknown male who has then cut off some of her hair before walking away. Enquiries are ongoing.
"Police are also investigating a second similar report, although this report cannot be confirmed as being linked." No further details have been revealed.
