A major investigation has been launched after a woman was sexually assaulted in Aberdeen.
Police sealed off a lane in the Torry area after the “serious” assault, which happened in the early hours of Saturday.
Yesterday, locals called for CCTV to be installed in the area amid claims that it was a known trouble spot.
Police and ambulance crews were called to Grampian Lane at about 4am on Saturday, and cordoned off the road for more than 12 hours while forensic officers examined the scene.
Detectives were unable to say if the woman had been raped, but confirmed they were treating it as a “serious sexual assault”.
They appealed for anyone who was in the Walker Road and Grampian Lane area between 3am and 4am on Saturday to come forward – and revealed they were keen to track down a light estate car seen around that time.
Detective Inspector Stuart McAdam said: “I would appeal for anyone who may have been in the area at that time and saw anything that they think may have been suspicious or saw a similar vehicle in the Torry area of Aberdeen in the early hours of Saturday morning to contact police as a priority.
“We are at the early stages of our inquiries, however I would urge anyone with information about this incident to get in touch.”
The attack comes six months after another young woman was raped in the city’s Union Terrace Gardens. Nobody has yet been charged, although police have stepped up patrols in the park and new lighting has been installed.
Yesterday, shocked locals called for improved safety measures to be considered for the Grampian Lane area and said it was a trouble spot within the community.
Four years ago, drug dealer Peter Newell was stabbed to death by an addict in a botched robbery.
Robert Strachan, who lives on Grampian Road, claimed cars were often vandalised in the area and that he had previously nearly been assaulted there.
Mr Strachan, who spotted the police activity as he headed to work, said: “I was on the way to walk on Saturday afternoon when I saw two ambulances and two police cars, the whole area was sealed off.
“The area was one where a murder happened a few years ago and a guy bled to death.
“They should put up CCTV there because it’s a bad spot.
“I’ve seen cars being vandalised and I was nearly assaulted there once.”
Jay Simpson, who lives on Walker Road, added: “I came home from work at 6am on Saturday and the whole area was cordoned off.
“Normally when there’s a crime around here, a lot is said about it but there’s been hardly anything said about this one.
“It’s not good to have something like this taking place on your doorstep.
“It’s a bad lane, there are often fights there.
“It needs CCTV to be installed because it’s out of the way of the main streets, anything can happen there.”
Local councillor Alan Donnelly said his thoughts were with the woman, and suggested a task force could be set up to tackle crime in the area.
He said: “We had the murder on the same place and it’s got no CCTV but we got some installed on Victoria Road.
“I hope the police got enough information and forensics to catch the culprit to bring them before the courts and off the streets.
“There’s been the rape in Union Terrace Gardens, the murder in this street and a number of attacks on women in Ferryhill, perhaps we need to set up a taskforce to look at what’s been going on.”
