POLICE are no longer investigating the rape of a woman at a Metro station earlier this week after the alleged victim withdrew her complaint.

The 26-year-old woman claimed she had been ambushed by two men and raped in an open pathway as she made her way home in South Shields, South Tyneside, at 6.50am on Monday.

She claimed one man had held her down while the other raped her.

Detective Inspector Ian Dawes, who led the investigation, said last night: "We would like to thank members of the public and Press for the response made to an appeal for witnesses.

"And we would like to reassure the public that stranger rapes are extremely rare.

"However, any report of rape is taken seriously and fully and sensitively investigated. We took appropriate action and followed lines of inquiry in a professional manner using trained staff while giving full support to the complainant."

Detectives are now considering the circumstances surrounding the allegations.