A WOMAN was raped after meeting a man in a town centre pub, police have said.

The 46-year-old woman had been drinking in the Swan pub in Churchgate and was then later seen with the man outside the pub at about 1.30am on Sunday.

Police said the victim and the man were seen “up against the wall” near the gates of the pub and were “catching the attention of passers-by”.

The woman then got into a taxi with the man.

Officers say she was raped between 1.30am and 6.30am on Sunday.

She has no recollection of what happened after she went outside the pub, but contacted police the next morning because she believed she had been raped.

Det Insp Damian Simpson, from the police’s serious sexual offences unit, said: “The victim had been drinking at the pub before she went outside but cannot remember what happened after that.

“From what we have been told, we believe a number of people saw the woman outside The Swan with this man and would urge anyone who did to phone police as soon as possible.

"I would also appeal to the man himself to come forward so we can eliminate him from our inquiries as soon as possible.”

The man she was seen with was white, in his mid-20s to 30s, heavy build with short, shaved brown hair.

He was wearing a blue short-sleeved T-shirt, dark trousers, a dark tracksuit top that was tied around his waist, and black trainers with a logo on the outside.

He was also carrying a black rucksack with a letter U embroidered on the front.

Adrienne Tonge, from Bolton Street Angels, said members of the town centre partnership, which was formed earlier this year, were working to turn the town’s reputation around and protect vulnerable people from getting into danger.

Mrs Tonge said: “Street Angels do look out for people who have become vulnerable.

“People who are that vulnerable are a grave concern to us. It’s a large part of the reason why we do the work we do and intervene if somebody seems to be unwillingly getting into a taxi or doesn’t seem to know what they are doing. We will ask questions.

“We are not the police. We have no right to intervene but if we gently ask questions we may be told to go away or sometimes the male may walk away.”

Volunteers did not see this incident, however.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 8561812.