A 26-year-old man is on police bail today after a woman alleged she had been raped in Ipswich.The alleged sex attacker who lives in the town was arrested yesterday shortly after the assault took place.

A 26-year-old man is on police bail today after a woman alleged she had been raped in Ipswich.

The alleged attacker, who lives in the town, was arrested yesterday shortly after the assault took place.

The victim, who is also believed to live in Ipswich, told police she was raped near the Stone Lodge Community Centre at around 3.40am on Sunday.

A police spokeswoman said today: "A 26-year-old man from Ipswich has been arrested and released on police bail following an allegation of rape in Ipswich.

"The man is due to return to Ipswich police station on November 12."

Nearby residents said they were shocked at hearing about the attack but had heard nothing during the night.

"I saw a police car here yesterday morning and at about 9.50am a customer came into the Co-op, where I wor,k and told me something was happening outside my house," said Patricia Parker, of Hawthorn Drive.

"I hate to think of my teenage daughter being out and about around there because it is so dangerous.

"There is a short cut a lot of the youths take, which means no one can see them. We are supposed to be getting lights on the basketball pitch but these will only be on when there is a game. We need good lighting round there.

"We always have a lot of teenagers hanging around here and there is lots of noise. You do become oblivious to it and I noticed nothing unusual last night."

Another young woman, who did not want to be named, said the short cut close to the shops on Hawthorn Drove was very dangerous.

"It is so dark and anyone could be around there," she said. "It is frightening to think it happened and no one knows anything, but then most people would be asleep at that time."