A RAPE suspect has been released under investigation after an attack on a woman in an Old Town alleyway.

The incident, which saw a woman in her 40s assaulted, happened at around 11pm on Victoria Road last night.

A cordon was in place behind McColl’s convenience store this morning while forensic officers examined the scene.

READ MORE: Calls for lighting after 'second sex assault in six months'

As part of their enquiries, police arrested a man, 32, on suspicion of rape. He was taken into custody yesterday before being released.

The assault came amid fears the area is becoming a magnet for serious crime because it is so poorly-lit.

McColl’s manager Nikki Moore said: “That’s probably about the second time in six months a sexual assault has happened.

“It needs to have more lighting down there because it’s completely dark all the time.

“Staff members all go out the front. They don’t go out the back at night because,it’s pitch black, so they don’t like going out there.”
She said there had been a recent increase in criminal activity in the area at weekends.

“There’s a lot more people around, and everyone knows it’s a dark spot,” she added. “So everything happens down there, from drugs to assaults, and not just sexual assaults there’s other assaults going on down there as well.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 and quote reference number 54190099358.