Five Italian men were arrested for the alleged drugging and gang rape of a British woman who was on holiday in the resort of Meta di Sorrento south of Naples.

The men were arrested in dawn raids on Monday for the alleged attack, which happened two years ago.

Italian police had been working since then to identify the men, all of whom are current or former hotel workers and barmen in a hotel in Meta di Sorrento, close to the larger resort of Sorrento, which is popular with British tourists. The hotel has been named as the Mar Hotel Alimuri.

Perched on top of a cliff, the picturesque town commands views of the Bay of Naples and is a favoured base for exploring the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii and the island of Capri.

The woman, who is in her fifties, was allegedly given a benzodiazepine date-rape drug in a drink she accepted from two barmen on the last night of her holiday back in October 2016.

They allegedly took her to a nearby swimming pool area and raped her.

They then passed her on to a group of up to 10 other men, who raped her in a different room in the hotel.

“Once the first attack had finished, the woman was handed over to another hotel employee, who led her into a room used by staff members where an unknown number of men were waiting for her,” police said in a statement.