POLICE were today questioning a 16-year-old youth about the late-night rape of a Darwen woman as she walked on spare land in the town.

The man, who is from the Richmond Terrace area of Darwen, was arrested in Blackburn Boulevard at 4am today, and was due to be interviewed at Blackburn police station.

The woman was attacked after being followed through streets in the Olive Street area of Darwen shortly after 11pm on Thursday.

A teenager started a conversation with the victim in the Red Pepper takeaway. He followed the woman, who is in her mid 30s, out of the shop and attacked her on spare land at the junction of Olive Lane and Garstang Street close to Quaker Lane.

Detective Sergeant Rob Campbell of Darwen CID said: "We are treating this attack extremely seriously. I'd like to thank the people who have responded quickly by coming forward voluntarily to give statements. We still want to speak to anyone with any information, who was out in the Olive Lane area on Thursday night between 10.30pm and 11.30pm."

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