A woman has been dragged from her car and raped in the John Lewis car park in Cheadle.

The horrific attack happened on Friday at 7pm and police are hunting a ‘distinctive’ attacker, with a deeply-pockmarked face.

The victim was parked up in the far end of a car park at the store in Cheadle when she was attacked.

The attacker opened the door to her car, dragged her out and into nearby bushes and raped her.

Police believe that prior to the attack, the man may have been waiting near the cut-through from the Wilmslow-Handforth bypass, the A34, and the junction of Wilmslow Road and Etchells Road and are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

The offender was an Asian man aged around 40 years old, of medium build, with black hair and thick black ‘monobrow’ eyebrows.

He is also described as having distinctive heavily pockmarked, open-pored skin on his face.

At the time of the attack he was wearing black jogging bottoms.

Following the attack on Friday evening, the woman went to the St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester and the attack was reported to police on Sunday.

Forensics officers were spotted examining the scene throughout Sunday morning, with a white tent covering part of the area.

Appealing for witnesses, Detective Inspector Richard Ennis said: “This young lady has suffered a deeply traumatic ordeal and we have a team of detectives who are working on this case to try and identify the man that did this to her.

“We believe that the area close to where the victim was parked in her car is used as a cut-through between Wilmslow-Handforth by-pass and the junction of Wilmslow Road and Etchells Road and we are appealing for anyone that may have seen a man fitting this description hanging around this area, to please get in touch.

“The description of this attacker is very distinctive, with deep pock-type scars on his face and I am hoping that this may jog someone’s memory to call us, so we can find the person responsible and take him off our streets.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police at Stockport on 0161 856 9770 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.