A serial rapist who has been terrorising women in the southern England has struck again, British police confirmed today.
Detectives said a 14-year-old girl from Stevenage, Herts, who was attacked as she walked home on Friday, was the attacker's tenth known victim.
The man has carried out a string of sex attacks in Counties Surrey, Kent, Berkshire and in London over the past 11 months.
The so-called "trophy rapist" - he usually takes an item of clothing from his victims - has targeted women and girls aged between 10 and 52.
It is the first time the rapist has struck north of London. Kent Assistant Chief Constable Mr David Kelly was speaking at a press conference at Hertfordshire Police headquarters at Welwyn Garden City about the latest attack today.
A Kent Police spokesman said: "It is expected he will confirm that the Stevenage attack is being linked to the other nine.
"It is now the tenth and it takes to the fifth force area." Detectives had earlier said the rape of the 14-year-old on a footpath near Collenswood Secondary School showed similarities with the other attacks but until today they had been unable to confirm the link.
In this attack, the teenager was grabbed from behind, dragged into woods at knifepoint and raped.
PA