Violent sex attack on woman in her Galashiels home
Police are hunting a man who carried out a violent and sustained sexual attack on a 36-year-old woman after entering a home in Galashiels.
The assault took place at about 22:00 on Friday in the Langlee area of the town.
The suspect was described as white, 5ft 7ins tall, with a skinny build, dirty blond hair and a tattoo on the back of his neck.
Detectives have carried out inquiries overnight and appealed for information.
The attacker was also said to have had a burn mark on his right forearm and a cut on his right index finger, which was bleeding.
He was wearing blue jeans with a red belt, a blue top with vertical stripes and was believed to have been under the influence of alcohol.
Det Insp Derek Long said: "The victim has been subjected to a sustained and violent attack within her own home by an unknown male and a major police investigation has been launched to trace this individual.
"We have an excellent description of the suspect and hope the Galashiels community can help us identify him and bring him to justice. He is known to have been in this area throughout Friday evening and into the early hours of Saturday morning."
The officer stressed incidents of this nature were extremely rare but could have a significant impact on communities.
"As such, high-visibility police patrols will be carried out in the Langlee area to engage with the public and offer reassurance," he added.
Anyone with information or who recognised the description of the suspect was asked to contact police.