A police hunt was continuing today for a masked man who raped a 16-year-old girl in a dark alleyway.

The girl was walking alone late on Sunday night when she was ambushed by a man wearing a black balaclava.

He attacked her opposite a Costcutter store in the Hollington Old Lane and Battle Road area of Hollington, St Leonards, between 10pm and midnight.

The victim had been walking from Silverhill up Battle Road when she decided to turn into the dimly-lit alleyway.

House-to-house inquiries were being conducted by officers on Operation Salt yesterday as the girl, who lives in St Leonards, was being counselled by specially-trained sexual offences liaison officers and police appealed for public help in catching her attacker.

A force spokesman said the rapist wore a black woolly hat as a balaclava with eye and mouth holes cut into it, dark trousers and white trainers.

Carole Bailey, who has lived in Hollington for more than 40 years, said such horrific crimes were mercifully rare in the area.

She said: "We do have a lot of problems including low education levels and poor health. But crime generally in Hollington is not a problem.

Mother-of-two Diane Butler, 45, of Old Harrow Road, St Leonards, said: "This area has the usual problems, like petty crime and a bit of anti-social behaviour. But it has cleaned up its act in recent years."

Anyone with information should contact Sussex Police on 0845 6070999 or Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111.