DETECTIVES hunting the Darwen rapist today revealed they had questioned every resident in the area around the scene of the attack in their search for clues.

Officers began knocking on doors in Clifton Street, Sandringham Road, Hollins Road and part of Blackburn Road in a bid to try to find anybody with essential information almost immediately after the incident, on Friday January 18.

But it has taken more than two weeks of repeated calls and revisiting houses where the occupants were initially out in order to speak to everyone in the area.

Acting Detective Inspector Jim Elston said they had a good response from the road block in Sandringham Road last Friday night when around 30 cars were stopped and the information was being assessed - but at this stage 'no significant leads' had come out of the exercise.

The 32-year-old women was raped on her way home from Lynwood Wines in Blackburn Road at 9.30pm after a buying a box of washing powder.

Police say she heard the sounds of someone in distress on wasteground in Sandringham Road and when she went to investigate she was attacked.

Her attacker was white, 5ft 10ins tall with dark neat short hair wearing a pale blue shirt.

He was said to have rough hands, long finger nails and full thick lips.

Mr Elston said: "We had a good response from the road block and people were very cooperative and filled in our questionnaires but nothing has really stood out - at this stage we haven't had that one person who has information we can get our teeth into."

He added they were still keen to trace the owner of a white refrigerator van seen at the junction of Hollins Road and Blackburn Road between 9.20pm and 9.45pm on the night of the attack.

He said: "We are still hopeful we will identify the person in that van and are focusing on local shops for information."

He stressed they wanted to find anybody who might have witnessed the attack or seen events leading up to it.

Mr Elston said that the door-to door enquiries had now been completed.

Anybody with any information is asked to ring DI Elston on 01254 353841 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.