Man arrested on suspicion of rape following incident in St Helens

We can confirm detectives have arrested a man on suspicion of rape following an incident in St Helens on Saturday 14 January.

A 42-year-old from St Helens was arrested yesterday (Tuesday 24 January) and remains in custody.

At 10pm on Saturday 14 January, we received a report that a woman had been walking home on Parr Stocks Road at around 9.15pm when she was approached by a man and reportedly taken to a grassed area between the fire station and Discount Motor Parts, where the alleged offence took place.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Parry said: “Although we have made an arrest, we are still appealing for information to assist our investigation.

"We understand the concern that such serious offences cause in the community and I want to assure people we are assessing all possible evidence to establish what happened.

“I’d continue to ask that anyone who lives locally and has home CCTV or doorbell footage checks their devices between 9 and 9.30pm on Saturday 14 January. Likewise, if you were travelling in a vehicle with dashcam, please check. Parr Stocks Road is busy with cars and public transport, so any passengers of buses or taxis may have also seen something of value.”

Contact detectives via @MerPolCC or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 with reference 23000042356.

You can report a sexual offence allegation by calling 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always call 999.