NO further action will be taken against a man who was arrested following a suspected sexual assault in Sale.


At around 3.45am on February 1, police were called to School Road and spoke to a 21-year-old woman who had woken in an alleyway with some clothing partially removed.


The woman was unable to recall what had happened and an investigation was launched into the possibility she had been seriously sexually assaulted.


Police made an appeal to trace a man she had spoken to near to the alleyway and, following the release of a CCTV image in the media, a 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of rape.


He provided a full account to police, which was corroborated by forensic evidence.


Because of this and due to the woman not being able recall what happened, detectives are now satisfied nothing untoward took place.


Det Sgt Claire Phythian, said: “It was only right and proper that a full investigation was carried out based on the circumstances as they were presented to us.


“As part of this it was of course vital we identified the man in the CCTV, which we did extremely quickly after his image was released in the media.


“He has given an account that is corroborated by forensic evidence and we are now satisfied the woman was not sexually assaulted.”