POLICE have revealed they have arrested a man in connection with an historic rape in Prudhoe.

The incident, which dates back to 2006, is said to have happened inside a house in the town.

A 48-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of rape and has been released on police bail as part of an investigation dubbed Operation Crystal.

The operation was launched after Northumbria Police re-opened investigations into more than 50 rape reports amid concerns they were incorrectly dropped by the detectives that first dealt with them.

In August last year, 15 detectives were moved off Northumbria’s specialist rape investigation team on to other duties after an audit by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) identified that some rape cases may have been incorrectly “no crimed”.