A “violent and dangerous” sex predator has been jailed after he carried out a series of attacks on women in a pedestrian subway under the A12 Blackwall Tunnel approach road.

Ali Husseini, a 27-year-old from Poplar High Street, was sentenced at the Old Bailey to six years and nine months.

He also got a 10 year sexual harm prevention order and has been placed on the sex offenders’ register after being found guilty of sexual assault and attempted sexual assault as well as admitting a third count of sexual assault.

Husseini followed lone women into the A12 subway at Poplar over the course of two weeks.

His first attack was on a 32-year-old woman returning home from nearby shops in August last year when he grabbed her by the throat. But the woman managed to bite his arm and he fled.

Husseini targeted a pregnant woman two weeks later as she walked through the subway back to work. He slapped her from behind, but she managed to escape and run off.

He followed a 20-year-old woman the next day who was walking home from work when he held her by the throat against the subway wall and tried to undo her clothing — but fled when she screamed out.

Husseini was traced and arrested three weeks later and charged on September 25 last year.

“He targeted lone women and instilled fear in a community for a number of weeks,” Det Con Charlotte Baghurst said after sentencing on Friday, August 6.

“Husseini carried out a number of violent and predatory attacks over a prolonged period.

“The verdict has put a dangerous and predatory criminal behind bars. The impact of his actions on the victims is beyond imagination.”

Detectives have praised “these incredibly brave women” who came forward to help the police investigation, without which they believe Husseini “would have continued offending”.

The Met has pledged to “bring justice to victims of sexual assault and make women and girls feel safe”. Scotland Yard is appealing to anyone who has been victim of a sexual offence to call 101 — but in emergency always dial 999.