A fourth person has been charged with the rape of a woman in her Ipswich home.

Pernell Taylor is accused of three rapes, false imprisonment and conspiracy to rape.

The 26-year-old is alleged to have committed the offences between September 1 and October 7.

Taylor, of no fixed address, is believed to have been arrested in Bedfordshire last week in connection with the inquiry which has already seen two youths and an 18-year-old Ipswich man charged with raping the same woman.

After being charged Taylor appeared via video link at South East Suffolk Magistrates Court in Ipswich.

His case was committed to Ipswich Crown Court.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled to take place on November 3.

Taylor is currently remanded in custody until his next appearance in court.

Last week officers said they had charged a youth from Ipswich, a 17-year-old, with conspiracy to rape between the same dates.

He is also accused of raping the woman between September 1 and October 6.

The youth was the second to appear at the magistrates’ court in Ipswich.

Previously a 16-year-old was brought before the court to face the same two charges and another of actual bodily harm.

Neither of the youths can be identified due to their ages.

The first person to be charged during the inquiry was 18-year-old Trayvond Rankin, of Alderman Road, Ipswich.

In addition to rape and conspiracy to rape he also faces allegations of false imprisonment, actual bodily harm and theft.

The youths and Rankin had their cases committed to Ipswich Crown Court.

Each have had their preliminary hearing and are now scheduled to enter their pleas before the same court on January 8.

A spokeswoman for Suffolk Constabulary said officers have also detained a 20-year-old man as part of the same inquiry on suspicion of a drug offence.

After being questioned the man was released on bail until November.