POLICE launched a manhunt yesterday after a woman was raped while she was out jogging.

Between 8.30pm and 8.45pm on Thursday the victim, in her 20s, was approached by a man, pulled to the ground and raped in Drayton, near Abingdon.

She was jogging on a bridleway, off Kiln Lane, that runs alongside the A34.

Supt Andy Boyd, pictured, local police area commander for South and Vale, said at this stage police officers did not know whether the victim knew her assailant.

He said: “It is an ongoing investigation and something we are taking extremely seriously.

“This is very unusual and not a common occurrence.

“Our priority is looking after the victim and working with her to see if we can identify an offender as quickly as we can.

“We will seek to reassure the public that there are additional resources deployed to the area providing that high visibility and that will be the case over the forthcoming days.”

Police spent yesterday patrolling the area with helicopters, as well as knocking on doors in the area and speaking with local residents.

Oxford Mail:

  • Supt Andy Boyd

The crossing where the bridal path meets Kiln Lane was cordoned off by police.

A man who lives further along Kiln Lane, who did not want to be named, tried to walk his two dogs at the scene minutes after the police arrived.

He said: “I went up there at about 9pm. I have two Alsatians so I went down the hill to let them off in the field, when a police dog handler came and stopped me.

“He asked if I saw anyone and I said I hadn’t and then I turned back.

“There was the usual groups of kids in their cars going up and down the lane, they often come to chill out here.

“The next morning the tape was across the lane and the police said I couldn’t go down. There are lots in the area.”

Ann Brooks lives on nearby Whitehorn Lane and said: “I heard a car zoom down the lane at about 8.45pm but that’s not very unusual.”

Her neighbour Marion Chick added: “There’s always something going up and down that lane, cars and vans and things.

“There were lots of helicopters about lunchtime, they frightened the life out of me.”

Laura Hughes, who lives on Lockway opposite the scene, said: “It’s sickening, really. I have a four-year-old daughter and it’s just awful to think that it happened so close. I wish I’d heard something, but I didn’t. I was on the phone to my mum.

“Everyone uses that lane all the time for dog-walking and running and stuff.

“It was only early evening — it was still daylight. You don’t think of those things happening like that so early.

“I don’t go down there at night myself but I’d happily go to the shops at 8.30pm or something. It’s awful. I hope she’s all right.”

Det Insp Louise Roddy, from Force CID, said: “If anyone saw or heard anything at all in the Drayton area last night which could help us with this investigation, no matter how insignificant they might think their information is, please contact us immediately."

Anyone with information should call 101.

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