Detectives investigating a rape in Ipswich spoke to around 180 people in anniversary checks last night.

Police carried out patrols in the Norwich Road area of the town on Tuesday night after a 27-year-old woman told police she was raped on Cromer Road on Monday.

She told officers she had been walking along Norwich Road and turned in to Cromer Road at around 8.30pm. As she walked along the road towards Bramford Lane she was approached by a man who asked her for the time, she told police.

She claimed the man then took hold of her and pulled her in to an area where bins are stored and raped her.

The man is described as mixed race, 35 to 40 years old with short black hair. He wore black jeans, black shoes and a black waist-length jacket.

Police are continuing their investigations after the woman reported the incident to officers at 10.40pm on Monday.

Detective Inspector Trevor Prior, of Suffolk Constabulary, said: “During the anniversary checks police spoke to around 180 people in a bid to gather further information and to trace anyone who was in the area on Monday evening.

“We will now look at the information given to see if this helps our investigation, but we’d ask anyone who was in the area who hasn’t already spoken to us to come forward.

“You may unwittingly have details that can help regardless of whether you think you saw anything or not.”