REVELLERS were today urged to take simple precautions to stay safe on the streets of Ipswich following the conviction of two brutal rapists.Sergeant Neil Boast, of Suffolk police, was speaking as Paul Tavares and Carlos Almeida, both of Ipswich, begin lengthy jail terms for their sickening crimes.

REVELLERS were today urged to take simple precautions to stay safe on the streets of Ipswich following the conviction of two brutal rapists.

Sergeant Neil Boast, of Suffolk police, was speaking as Paul Tavares and Carlos Almeida, both of Ipswich, begin lengthy jail terms for their sickening crimes.

A 31-year-old woman was preyed upon by the depraved pair while in a drunken state following a night out in Ipswich. She was taken to an empty car park, between the former Odeon cinema and Regent Theatre, and then raped in a small confined space.

Sgt Boast said: “If you follow simple rules then you will have a safe night out, as the overwhelming majority of people do.

”Thousands of people go out in Ipswich every weekend, have a good night out and don't have any problems.

“The sad thing is that one case can create a massive fear of crime but the reality is you are very unlikely to be victim to serious crime such as rape.”

He urged people to stick together on nights out, plan their route home before going out and not to drink too much.

Detective inspector Stuart McCallum, who led the investigation into the February 11 attack, was full of praise for the victim's courage in coming forward.

He said: “Giving live evidence about what she had been through wasn't pleasant for her. No one should underestimate how difficult it must have been. I've spoken to her about it and she hated it.

”When she had the phone call to say both were guilty she collapsed in floods of tears. Ultimately that's why we do the work. It's an excellent result because of what she had to go through, both in terms of the offence and then having to relive it.

”It's going to help her put this episode in a box and move on. Clearly it was something that was playing on her mind.”

Det insp McCallum revealed DNA had been the key to the conviction of Tavares, whose semen was found at the crime scene, a small space between a container and the wall of the Regent Theatre.

A link was then established between Tavares and fellow rapist Almeida. Fibres from a coat belonging to Almeida were found on the clothes of the victim.

This evidence was coupled with cctv footage and witness statements proving the pair were in the area.

Det insp McCallum said the conviction was the result of fantastic team work and praised his team, including the “vital” work of the Crown Prosecution Service's case worker.

He said: “It was gratifying to hear the judge comment that it was impressive police work that led to these results. I think we're hugely indebted to the victim and other witnesses who came up to proof and the whole team effort as far as the investigation was concerned.

“I would agree with the comments the judge made in relation to the despicable nature of this crime. The sentence must send a strong message to people that you can't go around doing this.

”In my experience, it's one of the more troubling and distasteful crimes I've dealt with in more than 20 years of policing.”