Four arrested over rape claim

2:18pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

DETECTIVES have made four arrests after a teenager claimed she was raped at a home in Colne last weekend.

Police say the 19-year-old was befriended by two men while at a Colne town centre pub on Friday night.

Det Sgt Dave Groombridge, of Pendle CID, said the girl had accompanied the men to a property, after she met the pair, believing that she was going to be attending some form of party.

But once at the home, the location of which has not been identified by police, she says that she was raped by one of the householders.

She was able to leave the property, following the attack, and later reported the sexual assault to Lancashire Police.

After she made a statement to police, four men, all thought to be from the Colne area, were subsequently arrested, each on suspicion of rape.

The four were questioned by detectives at Burnley's Parker Lane police station and later released.

DS Groombridge said that the four had all been granted police bail until a date in July, pending further inquiries.

"But we suspect that we will be able to complete our inquiries a little earlier and bring them back in before that."