A POLICE investigation into the brutal rape of a 25-year-old woman in a Suffolk churchyard is to continue after officers released two men arrested in connection with the attack without charge.

A POLICE investigation into the brutal rape of a 25-year-old woman in a Suffolk churchyard is to continue after officers released two men arrested in connection with the attack without charge.

The duo, aged 28 and 37, were due to answer bail yesterday, but were told by detectives no further action would be taken against them at this stage.

However, officials have said the inquiry into the incident, at St Mary's Churchyard in Haverhill, remains open, with officers pledging to follow up any new leads which may emerge.

The victim, who lives in the Haverhill area, told detectives she was attacked in the early hours of August 10 after spending the evening at the Rush Nightclub in the town. Initial investigations suggested she had been seen leaving the premises with a man prior to the attack.

The woman told police she had woken up in the churchyard at around 5am after being raped, and reported the incident to officers the following day, when an investigation was launched.

The churchyard was temporarily sealed off as scenes of crime officers completed searches of the area, while detectives also conducted house-to-house inquiries and reviewed footage from closed-circuit television cameras covering the town centre.

Officers also questioned around 400 people socialising in Haverhill a week after the incident, and arrested the two men on September 10.

The duo were questioned throughout the day and bailed to return to Haverhill Police Station.

But, after seeking advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), officers decided no further action would be taken against the pair.

Suffolk police spokesman Mike Nunn said: "Following advice from the CPS, the two men arrested in connection with the rape of a 25-year-old Haverhill woman in St Mary's churchyard in the early hours of Sunday, 10 August have had their bail cancelled.

"They will face no further police action at this stage. The investigation remains open and police will follow any new leads should they arise."

Following the incident, a group of Haverhill Town Councillors wrote to Home Secretary David Blunkett asking for funding to provide extra CCTV cameras in the area. Earlier this month, they received a reply rejecting their plea for more cash.