A young woman has been left suffering from "anxiety and panic attacks" after a man sat behind her on a bus and, unbeknown to her, cut a large chunk of her hair off.
Jessie Thomas, 24, did not realise that some of her hair was missing until hours after the "creepy" incident.
Jessie was travelling to Middlesbrough to work at a salon on February 12 when she noticed the stranger moved three rows forward and sit in the seat behind, Teesside Live reports.
He followed her after they both got off at Middlesbrough Bus Station, but quickly rushed away when she "turned and looked at him".
Cleveland Police has confirmed a man, aged 24, was arrested in connection with the incident but the case was closed "pending any further information coming to light".
Jessie says the experience left her too frightened to get on a bus and she wants the man brought to justice. "I'd been working a shift at Ku in Stockton the night before," she told Teesside Live, "and I was tired.
"I got on a bus and was half asleep, when you're not nodding off but you are not quite there. A lad who got on the bus before me sat three rows back got up and moved right behind me.
"I thought 'this is really weird' considering the bus was pretty much empty. But we get told a lot that we are being paranoid - don't we - so I was like 'it doesn't matter, it's fine'.
"I got off and was walking round the bus station, a lot of people go straight through Poundland. This lad was being a bit weird, so instead I walked the long way round.
"I was staring at him in windows, he was very close to me. I moved to one side and turned and looked at him, all of a sudden he took massive steps and carried on walking.
"I got to work and thought 'you know what, it's just some creepy guy it's over and done with'." It wasn't until Jessie got home later and was getting ready for another shift at the club when she noticed her hair.
"A huge chunk had gone," she said, "it was about three inches thick. I have extensions, it was about £70 worth. I'd only had them in for a day. I do extensions for a living."
Terrifyingly, Jessie says she looks back now and realises she heard the sound of her hair being cut - and felt her hair being moved. "When I was sat on the bus, I heard what sounded like Velcro. It clicked afterwards in my head that that was scissors going through my hair. At one point, he'd moved my hair over my shoulder and I felt something but I couldn't figure out what.
"I just went back to playing my game, I thought it was nothing. I was in so much shock, it's brought back so much anxiety, I'm having panic attacks.
"It freaks me out. He must live near me, it's crazy. I want him done for it. Or at least an apology at this point. I got on the bus to work for the first time yesterday and the panic was real but I powered through, with my family cheering me on."
A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said: "A report was received from a woman that her hair had been cut whilst she was asleep on a bus on Saturday, February 12. We understand that this was a distressing incident for the woman and a thorough investigation was carried out, including CCTV enquiries.
"The victim was kept updated on the investigation and as part of enquiries a 24-year-old man was arrested and interviewed in connection with the incident. The case has now been closed pending any further information coming to light."
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