A woman who cried rape has been handed a fixed penalty notice for wasting police time.

She had claimed two men had grabbed her and dragged into a house in Moss Side in broad daylight before being sexually attacked.

It prompted a huge police investigation and patrols were increased in the area.

But police have now confirmed the incident she described at a house on Adscombe Street on May 14 last year never happened.

The three men who were arrested on suspicion of rape have now been released without charge.

And the woman who had made the allegation has been handed a fixed penalty notice for wasting police time.

Detective Inspector Neil Charnock, of Greater Manchester Police's Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: "On this occasion our investigation has proven the rape... to be a false account.

"This would have naturally been a worrying incident for the community therefore I hope it reassures them to know that the report of rape which was made to the police in fact did not happen.

"A substantial amount of time went into investigating the incident which resulted in three arrests. This would have been an extremely stressful and upsetting time for these men who have now been released without charge. The woman who made the false report has subsequently been issued with a fixed penalty notice for wasting police time.

"This incident does not change the fact that we take all reports of rape seriously and investigate thoroughly and without prejudice, which can be demonstrated by our significant investment in relation to this report.

"Incidents such as this not only detract our resources away from genuine reports that need our valuable time, but can have devastating consequences for anyone who has been wrongly accused.

"Greater Manchester Police encourages anyone who has been a victim of rape or any sort of sexual abuse to come forward, but I must also stress the importance of providing police with genuine reports due to the time we devote to investigating these cases.

"I hope this does not deter victims from coming forward to police. We have specially-trained officers who give a tremendous amount of time and support to anyone who has been a victim of rape and we work closely with the St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre. We can not only help you, but also put your attacker behind bars."

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