A WOMAN was allegedly raped in a popular woodland, leading to the arrest of a 28-year-old man and a police search for key witnesses.
Detectives say the attack happened in the Wybers Wood and Willows area in Grimsby at around 10am on September 21.
An anonymous tip-off sparked a major probe, with officers later arresting a 28-year-old man on suspicion of rape, as reported by Grimsby Live.
He has been conditionally bailed as enquiries continue.
Detective Inspector Gemma Walker of Humberside Police’s Protecting Vulnerable People Unit has been leading the investigation.
She indicated that a total of five members of the public are believed to have helped the woman in the aftermath of the attack, and is now encouraging them to provide witness statements.
Police believe a man and woman walking a dog, plus another woman seen on Mayfair Drive West, came to the victim’s aid.
A man and woman in a red car on Great Coates Road are also thought to have stopped to help.
DI Walker said: “Investigations of this nature are extremely complex, and we are now at a critical point where we would like to appeal to five people who we believe may be key witnesses with vital information.
“We would like to thank these members of the public who came to the woman’s aid at the time and would urge them to come forward with any information, no matter how small, to assist detectives.”
She added that her teams began carrying out lines of enquiry and were able to identify the woman.
Since then, officers have conducted house to house enquiries within the area, gathered witness statements, and spoken with the victim to understand the full circumstances around the report.
DI Walker said: “As part of this, we can confirm a 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of rape and has since been conditionally bailed whilst enquiries continue.
“If anyone else witnessed the incident, has any information or believes they may have CCTV or dashcam from around the time the incident occurred, please contact us on our non-emergency number 101 quoting crime reference 25*133444.”
It is also possible to report anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
