Have you seen this man? Police release new footage after woman in her 20s was raped in London’s Covent Garden
The Metropolitan Police have released CCTV footage of a man they want to trace after a woman in her twenties was raped near Covent Garden in central London. The attack happened in a busy part of the West End in the early hours of the morning, and investigators believe someone will recognise the suspect from the footage, making public help crucial to identifying him.
The victim was approached by a stranger as she walked through Shaftesbury Avenue, Cambridge Circus and Drury Lane before being dragged into a doorway on Macklin Street at around 5.20am on Saturday, 22 August. She escaped and reported the attack to police shortly afterwards, and continues to be supported by specialist officers. Detectives have identified CCTV showing a white man, around 5ft 8ins tall with short brown hair, moving alone through the area near Lisle Street and Drury Lane for at least two hours that night. Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
- Met Police release CCTV after Covent Garden rape on 22 August
- Victim, in her 20s, dragged into doorway on Macklin Street
- Public urged to help identify white male suspect, 5ft 8ins
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Police in London have released CCTV footage as part of an investigation into a rape near Covent Garden in the West End. A woman in her twenties was attacked in the early hours, and the Metropolitan Police are asking the public to help identify a man seen in the footage who they believe may have information relevant to the case.
The area involved includes well-known central London streets such as Shaftesbury Avenue, Cambridge Circus and Drury Lane, all busy tourist and entertainment spots by day but much quieter in the early hours when the attack is reported to have happened. The victim is said to have escaped and reported the incident to police soon afterwards.
This case matters because it concerns a serious sexual offence in a highly frequented part of central London, and because the investigation depends heavily on the public recognising the man shown in the CCTV images. Specialist officers are supporting the victim, and police have set up channels, including an anonymous option, for anyone with relevant information to come forward.