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West Midlands Police have launched an urgent appeal after a woman in her 20s was raped in Walsall in a "racially aggravated" attack. Officers were called to the Park Hall area of Walsall just after 7.15pm on Saturday night, in response to concerns for the welfare of a woman in distress in the street. Get the latest headlines delivered straight to your inbox with the Express & Star’s free newsletter Officers established that the woman had been raped and assaulted in a nearby property by a man she did not know. The force has said that the woman is now being supported by specialist officers following the attack, and that an urgent appeal for information has been launched. As part of the investigation, a CCTV image has been released of a man that police wish to talk to, with the force describing him as white, in his 30s, with short hair. He was also described as wearing black clothing. Detective Superintendent Ronan Tyrer, who is overseeing the investigation, said: "This was an absolutely appalling attack on a young woman, and we are doing absolutely everything we can to arrest the person responsible. “We have teams of officers recovering evidence and building a profile of the attacker so that he can be brought into custody as soon as possible. “While we are following multiple lines of enquiry right now, it’s vital that we get to hear from anyone who saw a man acting suspiciously in the area at the time. “It may be that you were driving through the area and have dashcam footage, or you have CCTV that we have not yet recovered. Your information could be the vital breakthrough that we need. “At this stage, we are not linking this attack to any other offences." Chief Superintendent Phil Dolby, of West Midlands Police, added: "Our focus is on supporting the investigators in identifying and arresting the attacker. “Walsall is a diverse area, and we know the fear and concern that this awful attack will cause in our communities. “We have been speaking to people in the community today to listen to and understand their concerns, and there will be an increased policing presence in the coming days." Anyone with information relating to the attack, or those who recognise the man, is asked to contact West Midlands Police immediately via their 999 number, quoting reference 4027 of 25 October. It comes after another racially aggravated rape incident happened on Tame Road, Oldbury, on Tuesday, September 9, that saw a Sikh woman attacked and raped, with the woman being told "you don’t belong in this country, get out" and a rape incident in Hurst Green Park, Halesowen, on Friday, October 17; however, this incident is not being treated as racially aggravated. A 49-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of two counts of rape relating to the Halesowen and Oldbury incidents - but were bailed under conditions pending further enquiries.
