Lancashire gang rape: 23-year-old woman dragged into alleyway where 'three men waited'

A woman in the Lancashire village of Colne was dragged into an alley and raped by as many as four men, police believe. The 23-year-old was walking along Tennyson Road shortly before 11pm on Saturday 6 February.

She was attacked at the junction with Slater Avenue and was grabbed from behind by a man and dragged into a ginnel where possibly two or three other men were waiting. Officers are conducting a number of enquiries in the area, including house to house, CCTV and forensic enquiries as part of the ongoing investigation.

They are also keen to hear from anyone who may have seen a group of three or four men acting suspiciously in the area at around 10.40pm on Saturday evening. DCI Joanne McHugh from the Force Major Investigation Team said: "Our investigation into this serious incident is ongoing and we are continuing to carry out a number of enquiries. The victim has been through an extremely traumatic experience and she is being supported by specially-trained officers at this time.

"We are appealing to anyone with any information that could assist with our investigation to come forward and contact us as soon as possible. We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have seen a group of men acting suspiciously in the Tennyson Road/Slater Avenue area around the time of the attack.

"Although the local community will understandably be concerned by what has happened, it is important to stress that incidents such as these are rare. We believe this was an isolated incident and we have stepped up patrols in the area to offer reassurance to residents."