Allegation of a rape in Looe

Police were this week investigating an allegation that a 21-year-old woman was raped in Looe on Saturday morning.

The allegation was made around 4am by a woman who had left the Boscarne night club around 1.15am to walk home alone. She said that while walking she was pushed from behind, then pushed to the ground and raped on a verge in Polperro Road, West Looe near Goonwartha Road.

The white male involved is said to be 30-35 years old, with short dark hair, wearing dark clothing, 5'8"-5'10" tall with a metal ring in his right eyebrow.

Police are appealing for witnesses.

Police appeal over car thefts

Police in Torpoint are calling for local people's help to investigate a series of car thefts which have occurred in the last fortnight.

Four cars have been taken from the town centre, three of which later turned up in a near-by vicinity.

According to the police this is unusual.

The possibility that the crimes are linked has not been ruled out, and officers hope someone may have seen the cars being abandoned.

The first car to be stolen was a blue, A-reg Ford Escort, which was taken from Torpoint town centre just after 10.30 on the morning of March 16, and was found only an hour later, a quarter of a mile away.

The following three cars to be stolen from the town were all found in the following days at locations close to the scene of the crime.

Call Torpoint police on 0990 777444 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Pensioner dies in a flat fire

A widow died in a fire in a flat at Tideford on Monday, after being overcome by smoke.

Firefighters from Saltash discovered Frances Hatch, 83, in her living room following a call to emergency services at 6.43am.

Two crews from Saltash attended the blaze in the first floor flat at Heskyn View after a neighbour, Andy Rollins, called for help. He said that after the power went off he knocked on her door, but received no answer. He then went to shout through the letterbox, and discovered that the flat was full of smoke.

Sub-officer Andy Barrett said although a fire alarm was in place, it did not seem to have been working. After being found by firemen the body was taken to Derriford Hospital, Plymouth. It is not thought the fire was suspicious.

Mrs Hatch is said to have been a keen gardener, and a former schoolteacher, as well as a regular at Tideford parish church.

Emergency beacon

Coastguards picked up an emergency beacon from a ship on Friday night, and immediately checked that the vessel, which was seven miles south of Rame Head, was safe.

It later emerged crew members had set off the EPIRB device by accident while washing down decks.

Petrol siphoned

A number of residents at Fairy Cross, near Lostwithiel, awoke earlier this week to find that the petrol caps on their cars had been broken off, and their petrol siphoned.

Tricksters still at large

Police are urging pensioners to remain on their guard, as they step up their campaign to catch confidence tricksters behind a spate of recent house burglaries. The thieves are thought to be part of an organised gang. On March 24 £70 was stolen from a house in Liskeard and a burglary with intent occurred in Saltash. The most recent theft was for £454 from a house in Torquay on April 3.

Injured in a fall

Police were called to Higher Market Street, East Looe, on Saturday night after reports from members of the public that a woman had been seen falling from a window.

The woman, who was quite seriously injured, was taken to Derriford hospital by ambulance. On Sunday her injuries were reported as not causing grave concern. Police, who were alerted at 22.37 carried out investigations but said there appear to be no suspicious circumstances.