have taken place in the past six months. The officers working on Operation Abbeymead are based in an incident room in Police Headquarters. However, the crimes they are investigating took place in Cheltenham, Innsworth and Gloucester. While they are not being formally linked, all three cases are being examined together due to the similarities between the crimes. The three crimes being investigated under Operation Abbeymead are:  On Wednesday November 30 2011 at around 8.25pm an 18-year-old local woman was grabbed by a man as she walked through Welch Road playing fields, in the Hester's Way area of Cheltenham. He dragged her to an area of the park and then sexually assaulted her. It is believed that a balaclava was worn by the offender.  At around 6.45pm on Thursday January 19 2012 a 16-year-old Gloucester girl was walking across the footbridge from Penrose Road to Evergreen Walk, which crosses the A40, at Innsworth when she was approached by a man. The man threatened, assaulted and indecently assaulted the girl, and stole her mobile phone. It is believed that a balaclava was worn by the offender.  On Wednesday May 2, at around 10.30pm, a 20-year-old woman was attacked as she walked along a grassed area behind The Clock Tower, near West Lodge Drive, in the Coney Hill area of Gloucester. The offender tried to grab the woman's handbag before pushing her to the ground and carrying out the serious sexual assault. He ran off in the direction of The