Rapist of 13-year-old girl may be serial attacker

Police are warning that a rapist who is being linked to at least five attacks on young women could severely injure or even kill his next victim.

In the latest attack, a 13-year-old girl was raped on Friday night. She was grabbed by a man as she cycled along an alleyway in the Pyrford Common area of Woking, Surrey, taken into woodland and sexually assaulted.

Detectives from at least two police forces are now investigating the possibility that a serial attacker is behind the rapes which have all occurred in the Home Counties.

The assailant, who steals clothing from his victims, is believed to be responsible for four attacks in Surrey over a six-week period, and for the rape of a 10-year-old girl in Kent in November last year.

Surrey and Kent police have now launched a joint manhunt for the rapist who they have described as "extremely dangerous." The Surrey force confirmed yesterday that they were sharing information with Kent officers .

"It is too early to say whether this rape is linked with four rapes in Surrey and in Kent but inquiry teams are sharing information and are in close liaison," said Detective Chief Inspector Bob Crampton of Surrey police, who is leading the investigation.

All the attacks have followed a similar pattern. The rapes have usually occurred during the daytime and near public footpaths or on a busy road.

The description of the Woking rapist – a white man in his 30s, of small build, short hair, a deep voice and a smoker – closely matches details of the suspect released by officers early this week.

Officers also believe the man, who had no apparent means of transport, may have travelled by train from London's Waterloo station, which links all of the locations.

The rapist is understood to have struck first last year when he carried out a brutal attack on a 10-year-old in November after she left a community centre in Ashford, Kent.

He is thought not to have struck again until 11 July this year when he attacked a 30-year-old woman by punching her in the face several times as she walked near a common in Redhill, Surrey.

The third attack was on an 18-year-old woman five days later in Woking. Another attack occurred on 7 August in Epsom.

Police have also investigated two further attacks on women this summer in Putney Heath and Wimbledon Common but this are not believed to be linked to the Home Counties attacks.