[Taking their filth with them… to another country. I hope that British law is tougher than S.African law, and no doubt, the British Police are not as lame as our Police… so there is hope that they will find themselves in a British prison – and I hope they stay there for a long time. Jan]

Police are hunting a gang of sex attackers who officers fear may have been responsible for three rapes and two attempted abductions in Northants.

In nine days five women have been approached while out alone in the early hours of the morning in the centre of Northampton, police said.

Three were raped but two, including a 15-year-old, managed to escape.

The latest victim was raped in the early hours of Monday morning, police said on Tuesday.

She had been hit over the head, said a spokesman for Northamptonshire Police.

It is reasonable to assume there is a certain amount of premeditation – with a group of three there has got to be some premeditation in what they have done

The attackers were described as tall, black men in their early 20s with South African accents who were driving a blue BMW car and a light-coloured Fiat Punto for some of the attacks.

Det Ch Insp John Jones, of Northamptonshire Police’s Homicide and Major Crime Team, said a squad of 10 officers was working with the National Crime Squad to track down the attackers.

Mr Jones added: “We are keeping an open mind about the incidents, whether they are linked or not.

“It is reasonable to assume there is a certain amount of premeditation – with a group of three there has got to be some premeditation in what they have done.

‘Chance of copycat crimes’

“I would not say we have got an organised gang attacking lone women but the facts speak for themselves. There is a chance they could be copycat crimes.”

On 1 August attempts were made to abduct a 15-year-old girl as she was walking near Sol Central in the early hours of the morning.

Less than an hour later an 18-year-old walking in Horsemarket was forced into a car, driven to Duston and raped.

After police released details of these attacks an 18-year-old woman told how she had been raped a day earlier between 1230 and 0100 BST on 31 July.

She was outside a Pizza shop in Horseshoe Street when she was approached by a black man who put his arm around her waist and neck.

Woman followed

He walked her across Marefair into a side road and raped her on a grassy area.

On 3 August between 0130 and 150 BST a 25-year-old woman was walking across Cheyne Walk when a BMW stopped near her.

A man got out and followed the woman as she ran into Northampton Hospital car park.

He grabbed her and said he wanted to give her a lift home, but the woman said she was due to meet friends and ran into the hospital.

Source: BBC
URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/northampto…/p>