A stroll along the towpath was anything but idyllic for one teenager after he was approached by a man and invited to perform oral sex on him for money.

The 15-year-old was walking along the Thames path from Richmond last Sunday at about 1pm when he noticed a man on a bicycle riding behind him. The man would repeatedly overtake the teenager before stopping to allow him to pass.

He began talking generally about the time and weather with the youth, before the conversation gradually turned personal.

When the pair were nearing Chiswick Bridge, the suspect stopped in front of the victim and made his indecent demand.

The victim laughed, said "no way" and climbed the steps of the bridge up onto the main road. The suspect rode off towards Hammersmith.

A spokesman for Hounslow police said: "This was a verbal incident and no physical contact was made with the victim. However this doesn't lessen the seriousness with which we are taking this. These types of incidents can quickly escalate into something worse."

The man was white, in his 30s, about 5ft 6in, with possibly an Australian or South African accent.

He has a chubby build, and short brown hair.

He was wearing a bright yellow T-shirt with a round motif on the chest, blue shorts and a red backpack. He was riding a gents mountain bike with orange coloured spokes.

Anyone with any information relating to this incident is asked to call Hounslow CID on 0208 247 6160 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Calls will be treated in confidence.