Police arrest man in connection with Rising Sun Country Park rape

Detectives investigating the report of a rape in Rising Sun Country Park, Wallsend have made an arrest.

At about 4:10 pm on Monday, March 28, police attended the Rising Sun Country Park where a 63-year-old woman reported she had been raped near the Pit Heap area.

An investigation was immediately launched by Northumbria Police’s Safeguarding unit and the victim supported by specially-trained officers.

Extensive enquiries have been ongoing since and today, on Friday, April 1 officers have arrested a 34-year-old man on suspicion of rape.

He remains in police custody at this time.

Leading the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Shelley Hudson said: “We are continuing to support the victim at this time and would once again like to praise her bravery and cooperation with the investigation.

“Our teams have been working tirelessly since Monday, reviewing CCTV and carrying out a range of enquiries.

“We can confirm we have now made an arrest, but this does not mean our investigation has ended and we are still interested in hearing from anyone who thinks they may have information which could assist us with our enquiries.

“We would like to thank the public for their ongoing support and cooperation. We will continue to have an increased police presence in the area and if you have any concerns please speak to an officer.

“Incidents of this nature are rare, but when the do occur we are committed to using every tactic at our disposal to ensure anyone responsible is brought to justice.”