Officers investigating a rape in Lowestoft last weekend have carried-out checks in the town one week on from when the attack took place.

The attack happened in the early hours of Saturday December 9 in Kimberley Road.

The woman in her 30s was walking along Oulton Road at around 4am when a man driving what she describes as a small light or silver coloured car, stopped and offered her a lift.

She accepted the lift, as he appeared to be genuine and said he had just given a lift to two other people.

At some time between 4.15am and 5.15am the man stopped the car in Kimberley Road, where he raped the victim in the vehicle. She managed to get out of the car and ran away to get help.

The woman is being supported by trained officers as the hunt for the rapist continue. This includes forensic work, along with CCTV and house-to-house enquiries. An E-fit likeness of a man detectives want to speak to in connection with the attack has also been issued.

The suspect is described as being Asian, aged between 30 and 40, short and of slight build. During the car journey he said he often offered people lifts to 'make friends'.

Officers have been contacted by other people saying they were given a lift in similar circumstances by a man in Lowestoft shortly before the attack happened. The description of the man and the car are similar to that provided by the victim, with the added information that the car may have had a wheel trim missing.

Between 1am and 6am this morning teams of officers were out conducting checks in Kimberley Road and Oulton Road, where they spoke to 15 people.

They also stopped five cars and distributed leaflets with information about the attack.

Det Supt Eamonn Bridger, the senior investigating officer, said: 'We continue to pursue a number of lines of enquiry as part of this investigation and I am grateful to those people who spoke to officers in the early hours of this morning – along with local residents – for their assistance.

'I appeal again for anyone with information about this horrendous attack to contact us immediately, especially if you believe you recognise the man pictured in the E-fit previously issued, or if you have seen a car matching the description given, particularly - but not exclusively - those with a wheel trim missing.'

Officers are appealing for anyone who may have been in the vicinity of Kimberley Road, or any of the other roads along the route taken by the suspect's vehicle (detailed below), between 4am and 5.15am on Saturday 9 December to make contact. This includes anyone who witnessed anything suspicious and anyone who may have dashcam, headcam or CCTV footage.

The route the car travelled along is believed to have included the following roads:

Oulton Road, Church Road, Boston Road, St Peters Street (A1144), Bascule Bridge, Belvedere Road, Horn Hill, Waveney Drive, Durban Road, and Kimberley Road.

? Contact Suffolk Police on 101 quoting reference 78398/17, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111