A MASSIVE police hunt for a rapist has been called off after the teenage victim admitted she made up the allegation.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed she had been dragged down a back alley as she walked home from a party in the early hours of Saturday.

She told police a man grabbed her from behind, dragged her into an alley off Lomax Street, Farnworth, pushed her to the ground, and raped her.

The girl has now been issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice by police.

Detective Inspector Gary Smith from Bolton CID said: “On this occasion, the rape that was alleged to have taken place in Farnworth on Saturday has proved to be a false account and we have issued a Fixed Penalty Notice.

“We take all reports of rape seriously and investigate thoroughly and without prejudice. Greater Manchester Police encourages anyone who has been a victim of rape or any sort of sexual abuse to come forward, but I must also stress the importance of providing police with genuine reports due to the time we invest in investigating these cases.

“I hope this incident does not deter genuine victims from coming forward to police. We have specially-trained officers who give a tremendous amount of time and support to anyone who has been a victim of rape and we work extremely closely with the St Marys Sexual Assault Referral Centre. We can not only help you, but also put your attacker behind bars.”

Anyone who has been a victim of rape or sexual assault can contact Greater Manchester Police on 0161 872 5050 or 999 in an emergency. GMP has specially trained officers in place to provide a first class response to victims and help support them through the criminal justice process.

St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester, can also be contacted on 0161 276 6515. This provides a comprehensive and coordinated forensic, counselling and medical aftercare service to anyone in Greater Manchester who has experienced rape or sexual assault. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and people can access them either as a self-referral or via Greater Manchester Police.