Police are investigating the alleged rape of a woman in a notorious underpass alongside Gloucester Railway Station.

The underpass between the station and Great Western Road has been a cause for concern for many years. At least two sex offences have been reported in the underpass in the last couple of years.

Gloucester MP Richard Graham described the underpass in February 2018 as 'grisly' and welcomed news of a £3.75million scheme to improve the station and its surroundings.

A Gloucestershire Police spokesperson said today "Police are investigating a report of a serious sexual assault in Gloucester on Tuesday (18 August.)

"Shortly after 10pm, a female was sexually assaulted in the underpass close to Gloucester Train Station in Great Western Road. A cordon was in place while officers were at the scene but has now been taken down.

"Police are at the early stages of the investigation and a CCTV trawl in the local area is now taking place. No arrests have been made at this stage.

"Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 and quote incident 26 of 19 August or submit information online to Gloucestershire Constabulary through this link: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/soh/something-youve-seen-or-heard/ 

"The woman is receiving support from specialist officers and partner agencies."

As far back as 2003, the underpass has been the focus of concern about public safety.

It was in that year that a seven year old girl, Pollyanna McIntosh-Hurst, spoke out about its dark, dirty and graffiti-strewn condition and persuaded Gloucestershire county council to clean it up.

In February this year police reported that a woman had been 'inappropriately touched' by a smiling man as he walked past her in the underpass.

And last January (2019) a limping man on a crutch was reported to police for indecently exposing himself as he looked straight at a CCTV camera in the underpass.