LURKING behind Badvent door 20 is Ellington Mafereka who is wanted for questioning over a sexual assault in Oxford.

Every day in the run-up to Christmas the Oxford Mail is joining forces with Thames Valley Police to publish a mugshot of Oxfordshire’s most wanted suspects.

So far two men have been arrested and police officers are now working on promising new leads about the 17 other crimes featured in the pages of the Oxford Mail.

Officers want to speak to Mafereka, 37, of no fixed abode, over their investigation into a sexual assault in Boots in Cornmarket Street on November 19 last year.

A man approached an 18-year-old woman and started paying her unwanted compliments, made sexual advances and touched her inappropriately. The woman tried to fend him off by telling the man she had a boyfriend at which point the man threatened to stab and shoot her partner.

Mafereka was arrested over the incident 10 days later and after questioning was bailed to return to St Aldate’s police station on January 2 this year, but failed to turn up. He is described as black, of South African descent, 5ft 8ins tall, speaks with an accent and had short Afro-style hair when police officers last saw him.

Det Insp Paul Miller said: “I’m keen to hear from anyone who may have seen Mafereka or who knows of his whereabouts.”

Encouraging readers to share any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, he added: “We need to lock these Badvent suspects up before they ruin someone’s Christmas. I’m really pleased with the response to Badvent, I think it’s a great idea.”

Anyone with information should call Sgt Van Den Eshof on 101 or the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.