Hero security guard ‘fought back against sycophants who sexually assaulted two schoolgirls in park’

Roberto Andre received many messages from friends asking “is that you, is that you?” after his detailed description caught their attention on social media

A security guard was hailed as a “hero” after fending off creeps who were sexually molesting two 13-year-old schoolgirls in a park.

Friends of Roberto Andre, 24, thought he was the hero as a mother took to social media to thank a bearded hero dressed in black with an ID card around his neck and a hand bandage.

The 13-year-olds say they were pushed, spat on and grabbed on the chest and legs by two male attackers.

Roberto, 24, tells MyLondon He received many messages from friends asking, “Is that you, is that you?” after his detailed description caught their attention.

The incident is said to have happened at around 5pm on May 20 in Cottons Park, east London.

Mr Andre said: “It was a hot day so I thought I’d go to the park and relax [was] As I pulled off near the London Road end of Cottons Park, I just saw something that just wasn’t right.

“Then one of the girls looked like ‘Call the police’ on her face. She looked desperate and I made eye contact with her.

“I walked over and said, ‘What’s up?’ The one I made eye contact with said, “You’re disturbing us,” the other looked a bit upset, had a red face, and was trying to walk away as fast as she could.

“I walked over and said ‘go away’ in rude words.

“One of the guys walked up to me and said, ‘What are you going to do?’

“The other grabbed my arm and then the other fell.

“I had no choice but to fight back. Just a hit like a warning shot.

“Remember my hand was in a bandage. I got a good one [punch in] I won’t lie, I enjoyed it.”

Mr Andre already had a sore hand after being attacked by a dog while on duty in Romford.

After landing a shot to the chin, Mr Andre said one of the men stepped between them and “aggressively pushed” him.

He added: “I pushed him back but at that point the girls were going as they came in.

“At this point he says he chased out of the park the men who fled in a short-wheelbase white Transit van with European license plates.”

Mr Andre described what he saw the men doing before realizing he had to intervene.

He said: “I saw them touching her, stroking her [one girl’s] hair and grabbed her hair.

“He had his palm on her neck, which caused me to pay attention.

“They didn’t look like they were together and they were clearly not related.”

The two men are said to have been wearing similar “silk” tracksuits – one blue and one black – and both had black hair, one with a “frizzy” beard and the other just stubble, according to Mr Andre.

After the incident, the girl’s mother said: “The girls were scared, they did as he said and left the area.

“We don’t know what happened to this man or men, but the girls themselves didn’t hang around to find out.”

Mr Andre said he has since spoken to the mum, who thanked him for his courage.

Police told The Mirror they are investigating details of the incident.