Police investigate rape allegation in Marlborough (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Police investigate rape allegation in Marlborough

2:07pm Monday 26th May 2008 in Marlborough By Nigel Kerton

Police investigating a rape allegation in Marlborough cordoned off one of the High Street shopping malls for several hours today.

Officially police said they were investigating "a serious incident" in Hughenden Yard off the High Street.

The Gazette understands that the incident was an alleged rape of a female by a stranger.

Police cordoned off the entire horsehoe-shaped shopping precinct from about 7.30am until 1pm.

Scenes of crimes officers spent hours at the scene and staff in businessws in Hughenden Yard said they saw police officers going through wheelie bins.

A local window cleaner who has a storeroom in the yard told the Gazette that he went to it about 6am and there was no sign of any police officers.

When he went to return to the store room at 8 o'clock the complete mall of a dozen or so shops and the Azuza cafe and nightclub was closed off with police tape.

For the first five hours police kept the entire precinct closed to the public.

Shops that had been due to open for the Bank Holiday trade were forced to remain closed for the entire morning.

A member of staff at In The Red said: "I don't suppose we have lost much trade because with the bad weather there are not many people about but we were unable to open at 10 o'clock and had to wait until 1pm."

A worker at another shop said: "The police have not told anyone what's going on but it must be serious because they have gone through the bins."

Sgt Ricky Lee from Marlborough police station said there had been "a serious incident" and added that he hoped to be able to give more information tomorrow.

The Azuza nightclub was open on Sunday night but one girl who was there said she stayed until closing time and the evening had been incident free.

Hughenden Yard has a private security camera system and it is understood police took away copies of the CCTV tapes to study.