Police investigating two rapes carried out four years apart have launched an appeal after forensic work by detectives established the same man carried out both attacks.

Two women were raped miles apart from each other in London – one took place in Westminster in 2018 and the other in Shoreditch in 2022.

To help identify the suspect, police are appealing to any further potential victims, and anyone who believes they may know the attacker.

The first attack took place at around 2.50am on 5 May 2018 near The Strand.

Officers carried out enquiries to identify the suspect, including CCTV analysis and releasing an e-fit image.

During the second incident, the victim was raped in the early hours on Curtain Road in east London on 10 December 2022.

Police released a CCTV image of a man they wanted to speak to in connection with the investigation and detectives are now releasing video related to the incident.

The Met wants to speak to people who may know the suspect, who they say appears to target lone women at night.

They were initially treated as separate crimes, but forensic work by detectives found the same unidentified man is responsible for both attacks.

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Officers also believe it is “highly likely” the suspect carried out more attacks.

Detective Inspector Chris Heathcote said: “A review of all unsolved rapes for this time period has identified no links to these two offences, but I would appeal to anyone who feels they have been a victim to come forward.”

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