THE hunt for a savage late-night rapist is being stepped up - a year after he put a young woman through a terrifying ordeal.

Detectives are renewing their appeal for public help in tracking down the man, 12 months after he struck in Colburn, near Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire.

They launched a major inquiry in the wake of the attack but despite their appeals did not get the response they hoped for.

"It has been a difficult inquiry and eventually we ran out of leads," admitted Detective Inspector Mick Moore yesterday. But we think now is a good time to try and jog people's memories. However insignificant they think their information is, it could prove to be a vital party of the jigsaw."

The assault took place in the early hours of September 4 last year when a 23-year-old local woman was attacked and raped as she took a short cut across waste ground in Colburn, close to the Walkerville Industrial Estate. She had left the nearby Staxx nightclub at about 2am and was visibly upset following an argument.

Police believe there must have been many other clubbers in the vicinity, either going home of visiting the burger van parked 50 yards from the scene of the attack.

Police later discovered that one reason why few people came forward with information in the wake of media appeals was that they thought that the rapist had already been jailed.

However, they were confusing him with another man who was convicted at Teesside Crown Court for a different sex attack in the area.

The man being sought is in his late 20s, about 5ft 7ins tall and clean shaven of a medium build with short dark hair. He was wearing blue denim jeans and a dark, short-sleeved short with open neck.

Anyone who was around the club or the burger van that Saturday night should contact police on (01609) 783131.