Police have released CCTV footage of a man they would like to trace after a woman in her 20s was raped near Covent Garden in Central London on August 22 at around 5:20am. The victim managed to escape and reported the incident to police, who are seeking information about the suspect's whereabouts between Lisle Street and Drury Lane. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Ridley is leading the investigation and urges anyone with information to come forward, stating that even small details could be crucial in identifying the man. The police have been following up on leads for over two weeks and want to speak to the man as soon as possible.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
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same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Metropolitan Police Service has released CCTV footage of a suspect they would like to identify in connection with a rape that occurred in Covent Garden on August 22. A woman in her 20s was approached by an unknown man while walking through the crowded area and was dragged into a doorway on Macklin Street at around 5:20am. She managed to escape and reported the incident to police shortly after. The suspect is described as a white male, 5ft 8ins tall with short brown hair, who was seen in the vicinity of Lisle Street and Drury Lane. Police are seeking to speak with him as part of their investigation into the crime, which has been ongoing since the incident occurred. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Ridley is leading the investigation and said that identifying this man remains a priority for his team, alongside supporting the victim. The police have released the CCTV footage in an effort to gather more information about the suspect's identity and whereabouts.
Written for “London Rape Investigation” on 2026-09-07,
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No political leaning scored for article 5624 · logged 2026-09-06
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Police have released CCTV footage of a man they would like to trace after a woman was raped close to a crowded area of Central London.
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woman → see → London
A woman in her 20s was approached by a man unknown to her as she walked along the busy streets of Covent Garden.
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she → approach → Garden
The victim made her way through Shaftesbury Avenue, Cambridge Circus and Drury Lane, before being dragged into a doorway in Macklin Street, at around 5.20am on Saturday, August 22.
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victim → make → Saturday
She managed to flee and submitted a report to the police shortly after.
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She → manage → police
The victim continues to receive support from specialist officers and dedicated services.
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victim → continue → officers
Met Police detectives have found CCTV showing a man in the vicinity of Lisle Street and Drury Lane who they are keen to speak to.
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they → find → who
The man is described as white, 5ft 8ins tall with short brown hair.
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man → describe → hair
Police have released CCTV footage of a man they would like to trace after a woman was raped in Covent Garden, central London, on August 22
Met Police want to trace the man, who was seen in the vicinity of Lisle Street and Drury Lane
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Ridley, who is leading the investigation, said: 'Since this offence occurred, my team has diligently pursued every available line of enquiry and identifying this man remains a priority for us, as does supporting the victim.
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identifying → release → victim
Through extensive CCTV enquiries, we have established that the man we are working to trace spent a considerable amount of time moving alone throughout the West End and through some of London's busiest streets during at least a two-hour time period.
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we → establish → period
I believe there is a strong likelihood that someone will recognise him from his appearance, clothing, movements or his presence within the area during the early hours of that Saturday morning.
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someone → believe → morning
'While there is no evidence at this stage that links this offence to any others, it is vital that we speak to this man as soon as possible.
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we → be → man
'If you know who this man is, now is the time to come forward.
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time → know → ?
Please do not assume someone else has already contacted us.
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someone → assume → us
'The piece of information you hold, however small or seemingly insignificant, could be key.'
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you → hold → information
Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 101, quoting CAD reference 5512/22AUG26, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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Anyone → urge → 111
