A 20-YEAR-OLD woman was brutally raped during a night out in Blackburn.

The victim was dragged and pushed across a road before being pinned against a wall and attacked.

She was left terrified by the ordeal and is now being supported by police counsellors.

The rape happened after the victim was approached by two men who started chatting to her in the Stage Door club, in Mincing Lane.

One of them asked her to go to the toilet with him and began to grab her inappropriately. To avoid him, she went outside to have a cigarette.

The man followed her and pulled her across St Peter’s Street, down Mincing Lane and into a recess between two buildings behind the Hex Tattoo shop where he raped her.

The victim managed to get away and the attack was reported by a family member to police.

Workers at nearby businesses said they were appalled by what had happened.

One man, who works for MY Roofing, which has been carrying out improvements in the area where the rape happened, said: “We put a skip there and apparently it was behind that.

“I do not think it is right anything like that.

“It must have been absolutely horrendous for that girl.”

Giulia Gatto, an apprentice at Kokino Hair, in St Peter’s Street, said: “I am well freaked out because I put the bins out at 8pm.

“I will not be doing that anymore.

“You do not even think about anything like this happening. It is horrible and I am really shocked to hear about it.”

Riaz Patel, manger at Petallica, in Mill Lane, said the area had become quieter at night in recent months.

He said: “It is very bad. At night this area does get fairly spooky.

“There is not really many people passing anymore.

“Before, this used to be a main road. There used to be cars passing all the time and the clubs were quite busy.

“But now there is hardly anybody.”

Det Sgt Eugene Swift, of Blackburn Public Protection Unit, asked for anybody who might have information about 1.40am on Sunday (January 19) to call police.

He said: “This must have been a terrifying ordeal for this woman.

“I would appeal for anyone who has any information to get in touch.”

Anyone with details should contact police on 101 quoting log number 231 of January 19 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.