A man accused of raping a trans woman in London has been finally brought to court after 12 years.

Mohammad Salim, 43, allegedly snatched Anna Vincent, 36, from outside Camden Town Tube station and raped her in a nearby alleyway on 23 January 2001.

The accused was not linked to the crime until a cold case a decade later discovered semen in the alleyway was found to be a one-in-a-billion match with his DNA, the Ham & High reports.

Jurors at the Old Bailey heard Vincent, aged 36, was leaving a birthday party in Kentish Town when she was grabbed by Salim at around 10pm.

Vincent, who was working at the Oxfam charity, told police at the time she was too drunk to resist Salim as he dragged her into the alleyway and told her he would take her home.

In the alleyway, Salim tried to make Vincent perform a sex act before raping her before running off, the court heard.

Vincent did not report the attack at first, as she assumed the police would not take her seriously, but was later persuaded to contact the police the following day.

She never saw her attacker come to justice, as Vincent died in 2006.

Salim denies the charges of rape and two counts of indecent assault.

The trial continues.