Teenage girl raped

A 15-year-old girl was raped when walking through woods between Wardle Road and Ashbrook Hey, known locally as The Brew, between 1.00am and 2.00am this morning (Sunday 22 February).

During the attack the girl believes the offender was disturbed by a passer-by and ran away.

A short time later a group of girls approached a police officer and reported seeing a man acting suspiciously in the area. They then left before giving their details. Officers are keen to trace these girls and anyone else who may have seen a man acting suspiciously in the area around that time.

However, a 20-year-old Rochdale man has been arrested and detained in custody.

Det Sgt Sam Halligan from Rochdale CID said: "This has been an incredibly distressing ordeal for this teenage girl to go through.

"Incidents like this are thankfully extremely rare but I would advise people walking home late at night to take safety precautions. Try to stay in groups, stick to well lit areas wherever possible and always make sure someone knows what time you'll be home."

The girl's mother alerted police after she returned home and told her what had happened. Police want to hear from anyone who saw a man acting suspiciously in the area at the time of the attack.

Det Sgt Halligan said: "I would ask anyone who was in this area of Rochdale in the early hours of Sunday morning to think back to see if they can remember anything that could help our investigation."

"I am particularly keen to speak to the girls who spoke to the police officers after they saw a man acting suspiciously in the area. Please get in contact with us."

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Anyone who has been a victim of rape or sexual assault can contact Greater Manchester Police on 0161 872 5050 or 999 in an emergency. GMP has specially trained officers in place to provide a first class response to victims and help support them through the criminal justice process.

St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester, can also be contacted on 0161 276 6515. This provides a comprehensive and coordinated forensic, counseling and medical aftercare service to anyone in Greater Manchester who has experienced rape or sexual assault. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and people can access them either as a self-referral or via Greater Manchester Police.