DETECTIVES have named a Milton Keynes man they want to speak to in connection with the rape of a disabled woman at a care home in Essex.Police believe 19-year-old Raymond Hatter holds "vital" clues about the crime at the home in the Colchester area.

DETECTIVES have named a Milton Keynes man they want to speak to in connection with the rape of a disabled woman at a care home in Essex.

Police believe 19-year-old Raymond Hatter holds "vital" clues about the crime at the home in the Colchester area.

An Essex Police spokeswoman said: "Raymond Hatter may hold vital information which will assist police in this inquiry. He is asked to contact police immediately or go to any police station and explain that Essex detectives are trying to contact him.

They urged him or anybody else with information about the horrific crime to contact them on a special number 01268 775588.

Police said they had found fingerprints at the scene and were working on a possible link with the Chappel Beer Festival.

The disabled victim, who suffers from a physical disability, was assaulted just after 11pm on Tuesday. Detectives believe the attack happened after a man broke into the home and stole a purse, cash and cans of beer.

Two female staff members coming to the woman's aid after she raised the alarm were beaten off as he tried to escape.

In the struggle, he managed to steal the keys to a Ford Fiesta, which he crashed in the driveway before fleeing off on foot.

Police said the man might have been in the Swan Inn in Chappel before leaving drunk. He also said he could have escaped on one of the special late night "booze cruise" trains laid on for visitors to the Chappel Beer Festival.

Det Supt Graeme Bull said the victim was "doing well" in the circumstances.

"She's receiving a great deal of support from her family, but is still managing to help the investigation," he said.

"My main appeal is to strongly urge Raymond Hatter to contact us. As far as the investigation goes, I am hopeful we will find the man responsible for this crime. I also want to reassure the local community. In my opinion, it is unlikely he is still in the area."

Mick Lunniss, assistant bar manager at the Swan Inn, Chappel, said: "People have been shocked by it all, especially the women. They've been talking about whether it's actually safe to go out or not.

"The beer festival only started on Tuesday, so it's really just the same kind of business as we normally get – the extra trade only comes in towards the end of the week.

"We get a wide variation of people coming here – young and old, locals and strangers."

Police described the attacker as white, 5ft 9ins tall with a big build, brown spiky hair and clean shaven.

They said he was "relatively immaculately dressed" wearing a blue sweatshirt with a white horizontal stripe across the front and blue jeans.

He may also have cuts across his face and hands, which they believe may have happened as he escaped from the grounds of the home.