A woman has been raped by a man who approached and befriended her in Brighton city centre.

The 47-year-old victim was walking in London Road towards the Easy Hours convenience shop at Richmond Terrace when she was approached by a man who tried to engage her in conversation.

She ignored him and continued to walk on to the shop.

However when she came out of the shop the same man approached her again and they sat at the taxi rank by St Peters Church together as she waited for a taxi.

None arrived, and they went to a bench at The Level by the children’s play park, where he then subjected her to the attack.

He subsequently walked away, and the victim made her way home.

The incident happened at around 1am on Friday July 31.

The man is described as white, in his late twenties, with short, dark straight hair under a grey woollen hat. He was wearing dark coloured jeans with a light coloured belt and a dark coloured, zip fronted top made of a fabric similar to tracksuit bottoms. His footwear was dark, with flashes of a lighter colour around the sole.

Detective Constable Leonie White said: "If you were in or around The Level in the early hours of that Friday morning, which was the day before Pride weekend, and saw this man either on his own or with a woman, we would like to hear from you.

"It is also possible that a taxi driver may have picked the woman up and dropped her off in the nearby Beaconsfield Road area, near the railway viaduct.

"If you have any other information that might assist, please also contact us."

Sussex Police are not linking this incident to another rape in the city on the same night where a 51-year-old woman was attacked by two men who also killed her dog.

Anyone with information should contact 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, in either case quoting serial 1124 of July 31.

Witnesses can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.