Woman and child were walking on Redcar seafront when two men dragged them into vehicle and held them for at least five hours

Cleveland police are hunting two men after a woman was pulled into the back of a car with her toddler and raped in Redcar on Friday.

The woman was walking along the seafront near the North Yorkshire town’s boating lake sometime between 11.30am and 12.30pm when two men got out of a saloon car and dragged her and her child into the vehicle. The car was driven down Turner Street and towards Yearby, on Longbeck Lane off the A174, where the woman was raped.

More than five hours later, between 5.30pm and 6.30pm, she and her child were forced out of the vehicle on Kirkleatham Lane, and they then ran to a wooded area opposite. The child was not physically harmed.

The driver is described as a white male, aged in his late 20s or early 30s, around 5ft 7in to 5ft 10in tall, with short brown hair, of large build. The word “Love” was tattooed across his knuckles.

The second suspect, the passenger, is described as a white male, aged in his early 20s, around 5ft 5in to 5ft 6in tall, of medium build, clean shaven and with brown hair. He had a local accent.

DCI Matt Murphy-King said: “This has been a very traumatic ordeal for the victim and her child. Thankfully, incidents of this nature are rare and this is an isolated incident.

“There are a team of detectives working on this investigation and we have increased patrols in the local area. Although we are investigating that the attackers may have known the victim, as a precaution, I would encourage anyone in the local area to be extra vigilant.

“Neighbourhood officers are patrolling the area of Redcar seafront and anyone who may have information is urged to speak to an officer, or to call Cleveland police on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

