Police investigating an alleged rape in Dundonald recreation ground have said they are no longer treating it as a "stranger attack".

Oct 26: Woman 'raped as she walked home alone' through a Wimbledon park

Oct 26: Residents 'terrified' after 'woman raped walking home' through a park in Wimbledon

At a public meeting on Wednesday, November 11, a number of park neighbours expressed their frustration that the gates were not regularly locked at night, and said it was an accident waiting to happen.

James McGinlay, head of sustainable communities at Merton Council, insisted the gates were locked every night but residents were convinced.

The alleged rape took place at around 1.30am on Sunday, October 25, when a 34-year-old woman was walking home from Wimbledon town centre through the park in Dundonald Road.

Although the police initially said that she was attacked by a man she did not know, Merton Borough Commander Stuart Macleod has said the Specialist Sexual Investigation Team no longer believe this was the case.

Wimbledon Times:

A forensic tent was set up in Dundonald Recreation Ground after the alleged attack

No arrests have been made following the attack, and enquiries are continuing.

In a statement, Det Ch Supt Macleod said: "The investigation is still at a very delicate stage and it’s difficult to comment much on the incident without either prejudicing the investigation or potentially misleading and/or further alarming the public, perhaps unnecessarily.

"I have spoken personally with the senior investigating officer and I am pleased to be able to say that, whilst the investigation is still ongoing, enquiries to date have moved the investigation along to a point where the investigator’s initial concerns that this was a ‘stranger’ attack have been allayed.

"In light of this, I do not feel that there is any current need to provide specialist advice around how people should protect themselves.

"Local residents should continue with their normal lifestyle and take their usual precautions."

Mr McGinlay said: "We do lock the park. My understanding is that it’s locked every night.

"Questions of light have come up to make the park safer. If you make a park well lit at night it can have the opposite impact of attracting people to the park.

"In terms of safety in parks, what we want to do is discourage people from going into parks in the dark."

However, residents were not convinced.

One resident said: "I live opposite the park and there’s been lots of times when I walk past the park and all the gates are open."

Another added: "The gates are left open. They are not constantly locked at night.

"Many people here think this was an accident waiting to happen."