Woman in her 20s raped and assaulted near bridge
Getty ImagesPolice are investigating a report of a woman in her 20s being raped and assaulted by a stranger.
It is believed to have taken place between the entry to the Redheugh Bridge and Askew Road, in Gateshead, between 01:20 and 02:10 BST on Saturday.
The attacker has been described as a tall, white man in his 20s, with blonde hair and a local accent, and wearing a black puffer jacket at the time, Northumbria Police said.
Det Ch Insp Chris Devin praised the bravery of the victim and appealed to the public to report anything suspicious they saw in the area at the time of the assault.
"While incidents of this nature are extremely rare in our area, we recognise the concern they can cause," he said.
"The safety of the public is our utmost priority and we have been carrying out extra patrols in the area."
