Arrest made following sexual assault in Stevenage

An 18-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the reported rape of a girl in Stevenage on the evening of Thursday, July 14.

Initial reports suggested that the victim, a 14-year-old girl, was sexually assaulted in Broadwater Crescent, near the Man In The Moon pub. Further enquiries have since established that the incident took place in the vicinity of the town centre, in Queensway.

Detective Inspector Michael Macbeth said: "The victim is continuing to receive support from specially-trained officers, and I would like to publicly reassure both her and the local community that we are doing all we can to progress this investigation, as well as commend her for her bravery in coming forward and reporting this to us.

"On Tuesday night (26 July), following extensive enquiries, an 18 year old man was arrested on suspicion of rape. He has since been released on bail whilst enquiries continue. At this stage, it is believed that he is known to the victim and this is no longer being treated as a stranger attack at this time.

"The investigation remains ongoing, and we are still keen to hear from anyone who thinks they have information that could help. If you have any information, please get in touch with police as soon as possible. Even something that may seem relatively minor or insignificant could be vital to our enquiries."

You can report information online at herts.police.uk/report, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact or call the non-emergency number 101, quoting crime reference 41/56457/22.