Manhunt launched after woman in her 20s 'is assaulted and raped by stranger'

By ROBERT FOLKER, NEWS REPORTER Published: 00:17, 6 May 2026 | Updated: 00:17, 6 May 2026 Police have launched a manhunt after a woman in her 20s was reportedly raped and assaulted by a stranger. The woman was targeted by the man next to the Redheugh Bridge in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, between 1.20am and 2.10am on Saturday. It is believed to have taken place between the access point of the bridge and the junction with Askew Road. The woman fled the area after the incident before contacting the police when she found a safe place.  The attacker has been described by police as a tall, white man in his 20s, with blonde hair and a local accent, and wearing a black puffer jacket at the time. Police have now launched an appeal as part of their investigation and are looking to speak to anyone travelling in the area at the time and who may have dashcam footage. The woman was targeted by the man next to the Redheugh Bridge (pictured) in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, between 1.20am and 2.10am on Saturday Detective Chief Inspector Chris Deavin, of Northumbria Police’s Safeguarding team, said:  'Firstly, we want to recognise the bravery of the victim and we will continue to offer them any specialist support we can. 'As soon as we received the report, we began an investigation and have been carrying out extensive enquiries. 'While incidents of this nature are extremely rare in our area, we recognise the concern they can cause. 'The safety of the public is our utmost priority and we have been carrying out extra patrols in the area. 'Anyone who has any concerns is encouraged to speak to an officer.'  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.