DETECTIVES investigating the report of a teenager being raped in broad daylight on a busy Whitefield road say the account was false.

The 17-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had claimed that she was followed, attacked and raped by a stranger in Ringley Road, Whitefield, at 7.30am on Saturday morning.

Police investigating the alleged incident now say it was a false report.

Det Insp Simon Davies, of Greater Manchester Police's Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: “On this occasion, the rape that was reported to have taken place in Whitefield on Saturday has proven to be a false account.

"However, this does not change the fact that we take all reports of rape seriously and investigate thoroughly and without prejudice, which can be demonstrated by our significant investment in relation to this report.

"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 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 police on 0161 8725050 or 999 in an emergency.