Midnight Garden Rape: E-Fit Released

Detectives hunting a rapist, who jumped a garden fence last August and attacked a woman enjoying the late summer evening, have released an e-fit of a the suspect.

In the early hours of Monday August 1, the woman - aged in her thirties - was sitting in a rear garden of an address in Ellerton Gardens, Dagenham when a man jumped over the fence.

She tried to run away, however the man grabbed her and pulled her to the floor.

He then raped her before running off towards Woodward Road.

The suspect is described as a very dark-skinned black man, 5ft 6ins to 5ft 8ins in height, of medium build and aged in his early to mid-twenties.

His complexion was described as poor, possibly spotty, and he smelt unwashed.

Detective Constable Jay Gardner from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command said: "This is a shocking attack which has left the victim very distressed.

"We are now issuing this e-fit image and urging the public to help us identify this man.

“If you think you may know the man depicted in the e-fit, please do call us.

"We also want to speak with anyone who saw a man matching this description, or anything else suspicious, in the area of Ellerton Gardens and Woodward Road during the late evening of Sunday, thirty-first of July into the early hours of Monday, the first of August.

"Substantial enquiries have been conducted with the local community, but we urge anyone who may have been in the area at this time to come forward."

Any witnesses or anyone who has any information is urged to call police on 020 8217 7466. To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

There have been no arrests at this stage and enquiries continue.