THE case against a Cypriot diver suspected of kidnapping, beating and raping a 22-year-old East Lancashire woman is continuing, the Foreign Office said today.

The 26-year-old man was detained on September 18 and remanded in custody pending the results of a DNA test. A Foreign Office spokesman said today the man was still in custody, although he had not been formally charged.

The woman, who has twice undergone surgery as a result of the assault, claimed she became separated from a friend while nightclubbing in Ayia Napa.

She said she was sitting on a pavement, when three men kidnapped her, took her to a remote location and raped her.

Initial reports said she came from Blackburn but it is now understood she is from Clitheroe. Cypriot Police have said they will seek a life sentence for whoever is convicted of the offence and politicians on the holiday island have demanded tough justice.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "Consular staff are in constant contact with the woman and the case is continuing. A Cypriot national arrested in connection with the offence is still in custody and going through the judicial process."