Teenage girl raped and stabbed after being dragged from Pizza Hut in Epsom

He assaulted a member of staff before dragging a 17-year-old woman out of the building and leaving the area on foot, according to police

A man allegedly dragged the girl out of the restaurant. She was found 15 minutes later with stab wounds to her abdomen (Google Earth)

A man has been arrested after a 17-year-old girl was stabbed and raped after being dragged from a Pizza Hut restaurant in Epsom, Surrey.

Police were called to the restaurant in Waterloo Road at 10.36pm on Friday following reports a man had entered the premises and assaulted a member of staff before dragging a young woman out of the building and leaving the area on foot.

Less than 15 minutes later officers arrested a 32-year-old man half a kilometre away in Court Recreation Ground off Pound Lane.

Moments later they discovered the teenage victim close by. She had suffered a suspected stab wound to the abdomen and was taken to St George's Hospital in Tooting.

Her injuries have been described as serious but not life threatening.

A member of staff at Pizza Hut tried to intervene when the man entered the restaurant and suffered injuries to his arm as a result. His injuries are not believed to be serious.

The suspect, from Epsom, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, kidnap, rape and grievous bodily harm. He remains in police custody while the investigation continues.

Surrey Police officers are currently reviewing local CCTV footage, speaking to witnesses and Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) are carrying out forensic examinations of several locations.

Detective Inspector Nick Chambers of Surrey Police said: “This was clearly a very serious incident where a young woman has been subjected to a horrific ordeal and we are in the process of carrying out a thorough and detailed investigation to establish what happened.

”It appears to have been a violent and pre-planned attack which took place in a very public location in the centre of Epsom."

Surrey Police are appealing for passers-by or motorists who witnessed the attack. They believe the girl knew her alleged attacker.