Police investigate rape of teenage girl in Cornwall

The rape of a teenage girl in Cornwall is being investigated by police.

Officers said the girl was walking alone in the St Columb Minor area of Newquay on 27 November when she was attacked by an unknown man.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the suspect was white, aged between 20 and 30 and had a small circular tattoo on his left collar bone.

The force said it happened between 18:00 and 19:30 GMT in the area of Penwartha Close and Stafford Close.

"The man [also] had brown hair with a quiff at the front, a sharp jawline, and had a London accent. He was wearing a grey T-shirt with dark blue jeans," Det Insp Rick Milburn said.

He said the tattoo was about the size of a two pence piece.

"It had a thick orange line running through the centre of it, similar to a no-entry sign in its design. The tattoo was also described as faded and of low quality," he added.

He said the girl was being supported by family and specially trained officers.

Det Insp Milburn said: "Anyone with any information, or who was in the area prior, during or after the attack who may have noticed something suspicious are urged to contact the investigative team as soon as possible.

"We are keeping an open mind on if the attacker is a resident of Newquay, Cornwall, or from outside the area, so if the description of the suspect or the distinct design of the tattoo sound familiar but you are not local to Newquay, please still contact us immediately.

"Incidents such as these remain rare, however, we understand that this may cause some concern to local residents and patrols have been stepped up in the area to offer reassurance to our community, and these will remain in place throughout the weekend."

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