Serial rape suspect Joseph McCann refuses to appear in court to face 12 charges including London and Watford attacks

Joseph McCann has been charged with 12 offences Credit: Metropolitan Police/PA

Joseph McCann refused to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court to face 12 charges including five rapes, so "force" was used against him.

Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot authorised the use of force to bring the 34-year-old before her by video-link from Belmarsh prison on Thursday.

McCann, from Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire, was arrested near Congleton, in Cheshire, after a two-week search and a stand-off with officers overnight.

Negotiators and paramedics were deployed and he was eventually taken into custody in the early hours of Monday morning.

He is accused of the kidnap and rape of a woman in Watford in the early hours of Sunday April 21.

A photo of McCann issued by the Metropolitan Police. Credit: PA

McCann is further charged with two kidnappings, four counts of rape, one count of false imprisonment, two counts of causing a female to engage in sexual activity and one count of assaulting a female by penetration in London between April 24 and April 27.

He was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday but Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot said he was “refusing to come up” from the cells.

Six uniformed officers were on guard outside the courtroom.

Prosecutor Iain Jenkins asked the judge to authorise the use of force so McCann could appear before the court by video-link from Belmarsh prison on Thursday.

Ms Arbuthnot said: “Mr McCann has failed to come up and yes, I do certainly authorise the use of force to get him before the video-link tomorrow so we can get on with the case.”