Fresh appeal in serial rapist hunt

Police want to trace three people from the rape scene

Detectives have repeated an appeal to trace vital witnesses in their hunt for a serial rapist who has attacked 10 women and girls.

Three people who were nearby when the rapist claimed his latest victim have still not been traced by police.

They were all in the vicinity of Stevenage when a 14-year-old girl was attacked on 25 October.

The girl was raped after being dragged into thick undergrowth beside a footpath at the edge of a copse.

Police have revealed an e-fit of the attacker

Police want to speak to a moped rider, a young boy who may have been delivering papers and a blonde woman who had a young child with her.

They believe they might have vital information about the attack which happened between 1645 and 1745 GMT.

Police say as the attack was taking place someone rode past on a moped unaware of what was happening.

The pocket of woodland is close to a housing estate and police are also keen to trace a young boy of about 12 years old who had what appeared to be an empty baby buggy.

Police think the youngster may have been delivering papers.

Operation Orb

0845 6018109

The blonde woman they want to trace was in her early 40s.

The attack on the girl is the serial rapist's 10th on women and girls across the south-east of England over the past year.

Police have launched Operation Orb - the biggest manhunt since the Yorkshire Ripper investigation 20 years ago - to catch the culprit.

	:	Map of the attacks
Find out where the incidents took place

Police say an e-fit image of the rapist released last week has prompted 5,000 calls from the public.

The picture was compiled with the help of the Stevenage teenager who glimpsed the rapist's face when she was attacked.

The suspect is described as white, aged 30-50, 5ft 5ins to 5ft 10ins, muscular, with a medium to stocky build, and tanned, leathery skin.

He has short, dark hair, greying in places, light green or blue eyes, a gruff voice, possibly with a trace of a north-east accent, and is thought to be a smoker.