Young woman raped on towpath

A 23 YEARS old woman has been raped on the Rochdale Canal towpath in Manchester after she became separated from her friends after a night out in Canal Street.

She started walking alone along the towpath between Piccadilly Lock and Minshull Street Bridge around 3am on Saturday, but was approached by a man who attacked and raped her, Alan Tilbury tells us.

Devastated

The police report that the young woman was left devastated by the horrific attack, but Detective Constable Steve Darragh, from GMP's Serious Sexual Offences Unit, promised:

"We are determined to identify her attacker and arrest him for what he has done. We are asking for the public's help to do this as we know there were a number of men in the area at the time this attack was taking place.

"We believe someone will have seen this offender either before or after the incident, or maybe even witnessed the offence itself."

Black man

The attacker has been described as a black man with short Mohican hairstyle, in his late 20s, of medium build and about 5ft 8ins tall.

The police advise women not to use the ill-lit canal towpath at night but well-lit streets and staying in groups wherever possible.