Woman escapes rape bid

A woman managed to break free when a man tried to rape her in a Derry alleyway, police said today.

The woman, in her early 20s, was taunted by a group of up to five men as she left a nightclub on the city’s Strand Road around 2.30am yesterday.

In a bid to escape their attentions the woman took a shortcut down an alleyway between William Street and Pilot’s Row.

She was grabbed from behind by a man who attempted to rape her.

The woman managed to break free from her attacker and a passing taxi driver came to her aid in nearby Rossville Street.

A PSNI spokeswoman said a number of people were in the area when the attempted sex assault took place and appealed for witnesses to come forward.