34-year-old man arrested after woman raped in Asda car park early this morning

A man has been arrested after a woman reported she was raped in a horrific incident in an Asda car park in the early hours of this morning.

Police were called after the alleged victim was attacked at the bottom of a slope at the Eastgate Centre in Basildon, Essex, at around 4am on Sunday.

Yesterday evening, a 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of rape. He remains in custody.

Stewart Eastbrook of Essex Police, who is leading the investigation, said: “We are aware of social media posts reporting an incident earlier in the night in which two women were followed.”

“We are currently working to determine the details of this incident and its circumstances.”

Police at the scene in Basildon, where a woman reported an attack in the early hours of Sunday morning

A woman said she was attacked at the bottom of a slope in the Eastgate Centre (pictured)

DI Eastbrook added: “We acted quickly following this report and our professionals and partners continue to support the victim.”

“I know this incident is concerning to you if you live or work in the area or regularly use this part of the city.

“We are continuing our investigation and thank everyone who has contacted us with information so far.”

“If you were in the area between 4am and 8am and saw anything, please contact my team.”

“If you have a dashcam, please take a look – you may have recorded something that could be important to our investigation.”