A SECOND man has been charged following a report of rape in Sunderland last month.

Saheed Mahmood Rasoolli, 30, of Hylton Road, Sunderland, has been charged with rape.

This follows a report that a woman was raped at a property on Roker Avenue on Wednesday, May 23.

Mr Rasoolli appeared before magistrates in South Tyneside on Monday and was remanded in custody.

He is due to appear at Newcastle Crown Court on Monday, July 9.

Another man, Araz Mustafa Abdulla, 23, of Roker Avenue, Sunderland, has already been charged with rape in connection with the same incident. He is due to appear at Newcastle Crown Court on Monday, June 25.

Police are also investigating three further separate reports of rape in the city.

Chief Superintendent Sarah Pitt, of Northumbria Police, said: “We understand the public’s concerns about recent reports of rape in Sunderland.

“Due to ongoing legal proceedings, I am unable to comment specifically on these incidents.

"However I want to reassure the communities we serve that we have taken swift action, with arrests made in each case and two men now charged in relation to one of those.

"We have patrol plans in place in the areas where these incidents were reported and our officers will be happy to speak to anyone who has any concerns."