Southport rape: Police appeal to two taxi drivers
Detectives investigating the rape of a woman in Southport on New Year's Day have appealed to two taxi drivers who may have information to come forward.
The 21-year-old victim was raped in the grounds of Holy Trinity Church, in Hoghton Street, at about 00:30 GMT.
Officers want to speak to a taxi driver who collected her and her boyfriend from outside the Park Hotel in Birkdale at 00:20 GMT.
They also want to speak to another, who dropped her off in Manchester Road.
'Keen to trace'
The couple got the first taxi to Coronation Walk, by JD Wetherspoon. Shortly afterwards, they got into another taxi near the Early Learning Centre in Lord Street.
The victim then left that taxi on her own. The rapist approached her shortly afterwards.
The attacker was described as a short white man with a heavy build. He spoke with a local accent and was wearing a dark jacket with a hood and a scarf covering his mouth.
Det Sgt Paul Donaghy, of Merseyside Police, said: "We are keen to trace the drivers of these two taxis as we believe they may have important information for this case, no matter how insignificant they feel it might be.
"We will treat their information in confidence and ask that they either call the investigation team or Crimestoppers."