Police say no evidence found of reported gang-rape in Epsom

Police investigating a rape incident in Epsom have said they have “not found any evidence” of the offence as reported. The reports prompted protests in the Surrey town this week.

Sarah Grahame, assistant chief constable at Surrey police, said the force was continuing to investigate a report that a woman in her 20s had been raped by a group of men on 11 April in Epsom after she left the Labyrinth Epsom nightclub. The alleged attack is said to have happened between 2am and 4am outside a Methodist church.

In a statement on Friday police said they had reviewed an “extensive amount of CCTV footage” and had been “interviewing potential witnesses, carrying out forensics investigations and conducting house-to-house enquiries”.

“To date, we have not found any evidence of the offence as reported but the investigation is ongoing,” Grahame said.

She acknowledged there had been “much speculation about the non-release of a description of any suspects, especially regarding the ethnicity” but clarified this was due to the fact “information about the incident and potential suspects is so limited”.

Grahame said that there was “no evidence that asylum seekers or immigrants were involved”.

Protesters gathered in Epsom on Wednesday demanding further details about the alleged incident and suspects. The demonstration, at which police carried shields and wore helmets, was promoted online by Danny Tommo – a former ally of the far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.

Grahame said Surrey police was aware of the “strength of feeling” the speculation had created and the “frustration caused by our limited public comment on the matter”.

On Thursday, the minister of a church near the scene of the alleged rape said the community was “shocked and appalled” by reports of the alleged attack and described the protests on Wednesday as “intimidating”.

“Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that, and that is why we are having an act of hope for the community so we can stand together and declare we are good people,” Rev Catherine Hutton of Epsom Methodist church said.

Surrey police said anyone with relevant information or footage that could assist their investigation should contact them online, and that there would be an increased police presence in Epsom this weekend.