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A woman who made a false rape claim will not be charged, police said today.

The woman has now been given “strong words of advice” by officers after it emerged the incident never happened.

She told police she was sexually assaulted on Kenilworth Road in Billingham yesterday.

But Cleveland Police has decided against bringing criminal charges against her.

A spokeswoman said today: “The woman has been given strong words of advice by police for her actions.”

Police appealed for witnesses to the ‘incident’ after the woman claimed she was attacked in the early hours of yesterday.

A 32-year-old man was arrested but was released with no further action to be taken .

A police cordon was put in place from the shops to the Marsh House Avenue junction following reports that a woman had been raped at around 2am.

It was later altered to cordon off the alleyway entrance next to the shops, with two police officers guarding the cordoned off area.