Dundonald Park Wimbledon

Police examining an alleged rape in Dundonald fun floor have said they have been no more dealing with it as a "stranger attack".

At a community conference on Wednesday, November 11, a number of park neighbours expressed their particular frustration that gates are not on a regular basis secured through the night, and said it was an accident waiting to happen.

James McGinlay, head of lasting communities at Merton Council, insisted the gates had been closed each night but residents were persuaded.

The alleged rape occurred at around 1.30am on Sunday, October 25, whenever a 34-year-old lady was walking house from Wimbledon city center through park in Dundonald Road.

Even though police initially stated that she was assaulted by a person she didn't know, Merton Borough Commander Stuart Macleod states the Specialist Sexual Investigation Team no more believe it was the situation.

A forensic tent had been arranged in Dundonald Recreation Ground following the so-called assault

No arrests have been made after the assault, and enquiries tend to be continuing.

In a declaration, Det Ch Supt Macleod said: "The investigation is still at a really fragile phase and it’s tough to review much on incident without either prejudicing the investigation or possibly misleading and/or additional worrying people, perhaps unnecessarily.

"i've spoken actually because of the senior examining officer and I am happy to manage to state that, as the research is still continuous, enquiries currently have actually moved the investigation along to a place in which the investigator’s initial issues that this ended up being a ‘stranger’ attack happen allayed.

"In light with this, i actually do perhaps not believe that there is certainly any present must supply specialist guidance around exactly how folks should protect on their own.

"Local residents should carry on making use of their typical way of life and simply take their particular usual safety measures."

Mr McGinlay said: "We do secure the park. My comprehension is that it's closed each night.

"Questions of light have come up to make the playground less dangerous. If you make a park well lit through the night it could possess other effect of attracting visitors to the playground.

"with regards to safety in areas, everything we might like to do is discourage people from starting areas at nighttime."

But residents weren't persuaded.

One resident stated: "we live opposite the park and there’s been countless occasions when I go at night park and all the gates tend to be open."