A 24-year-old student was repeatedly raped in an hour-long ordeal.

The attack was today described by a detective as one of the worst cases he has worked on.

The woman was walking from millennium celebrations early on New Year's Day when she stopped to ask a man for directions in New Church Road, Hove.

She was followed into the grounds of Aldrington Day Centre and attacked.

Det Insp Russ Whitfield, of Hove CID, said it was the worse rape case he had known during his 16 years with the police.

More than 20 officers have been assigned to the case and Det Insp Whitfield appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

Officers believe the attacker may have struck when he did because the area was busy with noisy revellers who may have masked any screams.

They are also not ruling out the possibility he may have struck before.

Det Insp Whitfield said: "The nature of this attack has shocked officers working on the case and we need the public's help to catch this man.

"We are particularly appealing to taxi drivers who may have picked this man up between 6am and 6.30am that morning and people living in the area to contact us if they saw anything, or recognise this man."

The victim, who was visiting the area from her home in Bedfordshire, is still in a state of shock but will not suffer lasting physical injuries, said police.

Police believe the attacker is from the Hove area as he knew the day centre's grounds are used as a short cut and he commented about this to his victim.

Police have released a CD-fit picture of the attacker, who is in his thirties, thinly built, with a distinctive thin face and brown eyes.

He was wearing a multi-coloured diamond patterned sweater and green jogging bottoms.

Police have also taken the unusual step of issuing a description of the victim in a bid to jog the

memories of anyone in the area at the time.

She is 5ft 1in, with short blond hair cut into a bob, and was wearing a red velvet dress over

dark trousers and a black velvet thigh length coat.

If you have any information contact Hove CID on 0845 6070999.

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