An individual believed to be Joseph McCann, the suspect wanted in connection to three rapes in south-east England, has been taken into custody after reports of a lengthy stand-off with police.
In the early hours of yesterday morning, the suspect was surrounded by police, who had tracked McCann down to an isolated rural area in the town of Congleton.
According to the BBC and Sky News, McCann was hiding in a tree on a country lane as the National Police Air Service (NPAS) monitored the situation.
A reporter for Sky News said police had taken a man believed to be McCann into custody just before 03:00 hours.
Cheshire police had earlier confirmed that trained negotiators talked to McCann during the stand-off.
The BBC reported that McCann was in a tree on Smithy Lane just outside the town.
It later emerged that McCann was also a suspect in the abduction and rape of a third woman who was attacked at knifepoint in Watford, Hertfordshire, on 2nd April.
A reward of £20,000 had been offered by the police for McCann’s capture, but it is not yet known if police found McCann following a tip-off or whether they tracked him down utilising other means.
News of the appalling crimes shocked the nation and it was only going to be a matter of time before the chief suspect in the case was finally tracked down by officers who have been working around the clock to secure his arrest.
The victims in all three cases continue to receive support from specialist officers and will be being kept fully up-to-date with developments by their liaison officers.
