A GIRL of 13 was raped just yards from a busy Gwent pub - and now police are appealing for her attacker to give himself up.

The girl, from the Blackwood area, was attacked on some scrub- land near the Penllwyn Arms in Pontllanfraith at around 10pm on Tuesday night.

The girl had been outside the pub (there is no suggestion she had been inside) and police say her attacker had been inside.

After the attack, police say the girl walked down a pathway leading from Glan Islwyn to Brynglas Avenue, followed by her attacker. The teenager, in a distressed state, was spotted by a group of girls, and the attacker fled at the bottom of the path.

Detective Superintendent Geoff Ronayne, who is heading the investigation involving 30 officers from Gwent Police, said the teenager is "very upset", and he appealed to the man to give himself up.

Det Supt Ronayne is confident the man will be traced and urged witnesses who were in the area at the time of the assault to call police.

He said: "We are investigating this as rape. We will pursue every line of inquiry until this offender is caught.

"The man is not known to the girl, and that is why we are interested in speaking to anyone who was in the pub or in the immediate vicinity around the time of the incident.

"Somebody in the area must know who this person is. He may be local, although we are keeping an open mind about that. I urge this individual to hand himself in now and prevent making what is already a traumatic event for a young girl much worse.

"This was a nasty sexual assault and it is very, very disturbing for a 13-year-old girl to endure. I need to track her attacker as soon as possible."

He is described as being white, in his late teens, short, with mousy-coloured hair. He was wearing dark trousers and a white top. Forensic teams have been working at the crime scene.

* Anyone with any information is urged to call Blackwood police station on 01495 223673.