A 26-YEAR-OLD man arrested on suspicion of rape after a woman was allegedly attacked in an alleyway in Blackburn has been released on bail.

Police were called to Ailsa Road in the Shadsworth area of the town at 2am on Sunday to reports that a 35-year-old woman had been sexually assaulted.

MORE TOP STORIES:

She was found at the scene, which is close to Dunoon Drive, and is currently being supported by specially-trained officers.

The 26-year-old man, who is from Blackburn, has been bailed until July 29.

Detectives were undertaking house-to-house enquiries at both the Ailsa Road and Dunoon Drive ends of the path and forensic scenes of crime investigators were also drafted in to conduct a more exacting search of the alley.

Neighbouring homes and gardens along at either end of the path would cover the majority of the path’s boundary, on both sides.

One mother-of-three said: “It’s not something you expect to wake up to.

“You don’t know what to think about it but I guess it has been a bit of a shock.”

Another resident said: “This is quite a popular cut-through, to get across the estate.

“I’m not sure I’d want to be using it at that time of night but you don’t expect something like this to happen.”

Bill Medland, who was visiting family in the area, said: “This is the first I’ve heard about what it might have been but there’s been tape up there for most of the day and people coming back and forwards.”

A police spokesman said: “We are investigating allegations of a sexual assault in Blackburn.

“Police were called around 2am on June 26 to reports a woman had been assaulted in an alleyway close to Ailsa Road and Dunoon Drive.

“A 35-year-old woman was found at the scene and is currently being supported by specially-trained officers.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting log number 172 of June 26.