Cologne sex attacks: City holds crisis talks after New Year's Eve assaults involving 1,000 men

Authorities in the German city of Cologne are holding crisis talks after a string of sexual assaults involving around 1,000 men on New Year's Eve.

At least 60 criminal complaints were filed, including one allegation of rape, with officials saying a "massive amount of criminal offences" had been committed by the large gangs - also including robberies and pickpocketing.

The city's police chief, Wolfgang Albers the suspects were aged between 17 and 35 and were described by witnesses as looking of "Arab or North African origin".

Attacks were alleged to have taken place at the city's main train station, which lies near Cologne's famous cathedral.

Numerous attacks were also reported in other parts of Germany, including Hamburg.

One alleged assault victim in Cologne told the Associated Press: "I was touched from behind my back. And I was touched under my skirt and my buttocks were touched.

"I tried to defend myself, swinging my arm backwards and I almost fell down the stairs. There were so many people there, you couldn't do anything."

German justice minister Heiko Maas said that many of the 1,000 people involved were "co-perpetrators" in the attacks on women "by simply not allowing them to get away".

He added that the crimes were a "new form of organised crime against which the state must take measures".

However, Mr Maas said that any links made between the attacks and Germany's recent large intake of refugees were an over-simplification and "nothing more than misuse of the debate".