Man charged in connection with series of rapes in Lancashire

Detectives charge man in connection with a series of rapes Credit: ITV Granada Reports

Detectives investigating a series of rapes where women got into what they believed was a taxi before being assaulted have charged a man.

Lancashire Police's Rape and Serious Sexual Offending (RASSO) Team launched the investigation into the allegations which cover incidents in Darwen and Preston involving three separate women.

All three reported getting into what they believed was a taxi, before being subjected to serious sexual assaults.

Nazim Asmal, 33, of Balaclava Street, Blackburn, has now been charged with a number of offences.

They include rape, sexual assault and committing an offence with the intention of committing a relevant sexual offence.

Asmal appeared before Blackburn magistrates this morning and was remanded into custody. He will appear before a crown court judge on 11 July.

DI Darren Irving, of East CID, said: “Although we have charged a man, our investigation is very much ongoing.

"Please contact us if you have any information which you believe is relevant to this investigation'