A 21-year-old man from Colchester has been arrested on suspicion of rape and theft.
The arrest follows reports that a woman in her 20s was raped and had her phone stolen in George Street at around 5.25am on Saturday morning.
The man was arrested at around 7.10pm and remains in custody for questioning.
An Essex Police spokesman said that the woman is continuing to receive support from specially trained officers.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Adult Sexual Assault Investigations Team North on 101 quoting incident 274 of 16/03.
Alternatively, you can Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here