Police arrest 31-year-old man on suspicion of raping a woman in the grounds of Hereford Cathedral in the early hours of this morning

A man has been arrested on suspicion of raping a woman in the grounds of Hereford Cathedral in the early hours of this morning.

The 31-year-old suspect was arrested after police were asked via CCTV footage to locate a man who could potentially assist in the investigation.

The victim was attacked around 3 a.m. on the grounds of the 8th-century cathedral in the city center.

West Mercia Police cordoned off the cathedral’s main entrances while officers conducted a thorough search of the area.

Police also urged any drivers with dashcams who may have been in the area at the time of the accident to come forward.

West Mercia Police said in a statement: “Officers were called following reports that a woman had been raped in the grounds of Hereford Cathedral at around 3am.”

“The man is in custody pending ongoing investigations.”

In recent years the cathedral has been an important attraction for military services and soldiers’ funerals.

In April, Prince William attended a memorial service at the cathedral to honour the life of SAS navigator and intelligence officer Major Mike Sadler.

In 2017, the then Duke of Cambridge was greeted by hundreds of well-wishers and SAS soldiers at the military regiment’s memorial service in the cathedral.

Before arresting the suspect, Detective Inspector Ben Pearson said: “I recognise that this incident is causing great concern among the local community, but I would like to reassure the public that we are conducting a thorough investigation.”

“There will be an increased police presence near the cathedral for the duration of our investigation and the victim will be supported by specially trained officers.”

“Anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident and may have seen anything or has any information or dashcam footage that could assist with the investigation is asked to contact police immediately.”