A MAN is being questioned by police today on suspicion of two Ipswich rapes dating back as far as the mid 1980s.

A MAN is being questioned by police today on suspicion of two Ipswich rapes dating back as far as the mid 1980s.

In a dramatic new development in the historic investigations the suspect was arrested in the town early this morning.

Although the exact location where the arrest was made has not been revealed, it is believed it was on the outskirts of the town centre in the Gipping Ward.

Detectives from Suffolk police's major investigation team swooped at 4.55am to arrest the 50-year-old on suspicion of rapes in Gippeswyk Park and the Stoke Park area.

Both attacks were given widespread publicity at the time, however the perpetrator was never caught

The Gippeswyk Park attack occurred in January 1990 when a female, aged 17 at the time, was threatened with a knife and dragged behind secluded changing rooms, before being raped.

The second attack the suspect is being quizzed about took place in September 1986.

The victim was 41 years old. She was grabbed from behind near woodland at Chesterton Close and raped.

She then had the terrifying experience of being confronted and spoken to by the attacker in the street at a later date.

After the Chesterton Close attack police issued a photograph and description of the attacker, but he remained at large.

The suspect was in custody at Ipswich police station this morning where he was due to be quizzed about the attacks during the day.

The major investigation team also double up as Suffolk's cold case unit.

Officers stress that cases are never closed. They are periodically reviewed and any new leads rigorously followed up.

Last year police were known to be reviewing the January 1990 attack, the investigation for which was codenamed Operation Atrium.

On March 31 this year Suffolk's major investigation team combined with their counterparts in Norfolk to be one unit headed up by Detective Superintendent Andy Henwood at Martlesham police headquarters.