Police assure '˜shocked and distressed' Yorkshire town that work continues after alleged rape

The offence is reported to have taken place between 9.30pm and 10.30pm on The Lanes, near to Badsley Moor Lane, in the Herringthorpe area on Friday.

Superintendent Rob O Dell said: “We are well aware that this incident has shocked and distressed both the local community in Badsley Moor Lane and the wider public, but I can assure you that our work continues in earnest to investigate this serious crime.

“What I want to make clear is that investigating crimes of this nature can take some time as victims can be traumatised by their experiences, which is why specialist officers and support from other agencies is crucial.

“The victim in this case, a 16-year-old girl, continues to receive our support and if any further information becomes available we will of course share this with the public.

“Our officers continue to make house-to-house enquiries, as well as trawling CCTV from the areas the victim is believed to have walked through, in order to piece together her movements and to identify any potential suspects.

“We appreciate that the description we released yesterday (Monday, April 3) was limited, but as we have explained we must support the victim throughout this investigation without pressuring her or rushing her in any way.

“What we currently understand is that the suspect is a male of unknown age, around 6ft tall, of skinny build.

“We believe he was wearing a dark hooded top with a small green Nike symbol, and spoke with a local accent.

“We believe the victim was walking next to a service road on The Lanes, near to Badsley Moor Lane, between 9.30pm and 10.30pm on Friday 31 March, when the suspect approached her from behind.

“He is thought to have run off from the scene, so we’re very keen to hear from anyone who may have heard or seen anything suspicious in that area between those times on Friday evening.

“If anyone has CCTV cameras that cover this area and you haven’t yet been visited by police officers, please get in touch so we can make arrangements to come and view any footage.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 101 or email [email protected] quoting incident number 1280 of March 31.

People can also give information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.