Manhunt underway after woman 'dragged off street, stripped and raped' in Manchester

A woman was dragged across a street, stripped and then raped in gardens after she left a pub in Manchester in the early hours of the morning.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) say that the victim, in her 20s, was attacked by a man wearing a baseball cap and a hooded top, close to The Cotton Tree Pub, on Cross Lane in Gorton, Manchester.

The force says they were called to Bread Street shortly afterwards at 1.30am on Monday (28 August) with the attack taking place in gardens on Burtinshaw Street.

The attacker had already fled the scene when officers arrived.

Police have now appealed for more information about the incident as the victim is offered support by specially trained officers.

The force told the Manchester Evening News: "The man continued to drag her into some gardens on Burtinshaw Street where he unclothed and raped her.

"He then fled the scene in an unknown direction. He is described as Asian, around 28-to-30-years-old, 5ft 10in tall and was wearing a dark baseball cap and a dark hooded top."

Detective Sergeant Philip Steele, of GMP's Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said following the incident: "Our primary concern is for the welfare of the woman and the circumstances around her being attacked.

"We are offering her support from a team of specially trained officers and need to make sure that the man responsible for this is found and questioned in custody.

"If you were in or around the pub a short time before the call came in, I'm asking you to think back.

"Alternatively, you may have heard a disturbance in the area which you have not yet reported to us. Please, if you saw, heard or know anything, get in contact with us."