Police have launched a major inquiry after a woman was subjected to a horrifying rape just yards from a busy town centre pub and railway station.

The 20-year-old from south Essex was attacked in a shop service area near Southend Central railway station in Clifftown Road on Saturday by a man she had met earlier in the evening.

Now police have launched a massive hunt for the rapist who subjected the woman to a 15-minute attack after dragging her into a store room.

They believe he may have been part of a stag party from east London visiting seafront pubs that evening and have appealed to minibus and coach drivers, who may have driven the party, to contact them urgently.

The attack happened just across the road from the Last Post pub, which would have been packed at the time of the incident at 10.15pm on Saturday.

Police immediately sealed off the area while detectives launched a top level inquiry.

A police spokesman said the woman was walking with the man from the High Street to the railway station when the attack happened.

He said: "As they got to the station he led her up a ramp. She thought they were still heading to the station but when they got to the top of the ramp he wouldn't let her go."

Despite her pleas for him to stop, he dragged her into the service area and into a store room where he pushed her to the ground and attacked her.

The spokesman said: "The attack lasted for about ten to 15 minutes. She was pleading with him to stop but he ignored her."

The man then walked off and the woman, who was shocked and traumatised, raised the alarm.

The attacker is white, in his late 20s, between 5ft 9in and 6ft tall, thin, with very blond hair in a basin-style haircut.

He was wearing a black and white short-sleeved check shirt and dark jeans.

The police spokesman said: "It is thought the stag party had visited seafront pubs in the late afternoon and early evening.

"It is possible they came to Southend in a minibus or something similar so we are asking any minibus drivers who brought a stag party to Southend from the east London area to contact us."

He added police were also anxious to trace anyone who met up with the stag party or anyone who might have seen the woman near the area of Southend Central station around the time of the incident.

Anyone with information should urgently contact Southend CID on 01702 431212 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

Rape scene - the service area near Southend Central railway station, across the road from the Last Post

Picture: LUAN MARSHALL

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