A COMMUNITY has been gripped by fear after a teenager was raped on the grounds of a village primary school.An 18-year-old woman, from Burwell, was attacked after she took a short cut home through a footpath at Burwell Village College as she walked home alone from a night out in Newmarket.

A COMMUNITY has been gripped by fear after a teenager was raped on the grounds of a village primary school.

An 18-year-old woman, from Burwell, was attacked after she took a short cut home through a footpath at Burwell Village College as she walked home alone from a night out in Newmarket.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident, which left the woman needing treatment at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, and the close-knit community in a state of shock.

One resident, who has lived in the village for 36 years, said: "Burwell is usually such a close village which makes this incident even more shocking and dreadful."

Another villager, who lives near the school in The Causeway, said she would be warning her 18-year-old daughter to be vigilant in the wake of the attack.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said: "When something like this happens in such a normal, quiet village, it is shocking and I will certainly be telling my daughter to be more careful.

"When I saw the police, I just imagined someone had broken into the college."

Sixteen-year-old Jenny Jones said she had argued with her mother about walking alone on the footpath just days before the attack.

She revealed: "I was shocked when I heard about the rape and it has certainly made me more aware.

"I know these things happen but you don't expect it in your own village. I certainly won't be walking home on my own anymore."

A spokesman for the school said: "The school shares the concerns felt by the community and would join the police in their appeal for information."

The incident happened shortly after 1am yesterday morning. The woman had got a taxi back from Newmarket with a male friend and the pair were dropped off in The Causeway.

The woman was walking home on her own through a short cut on the grounds of the village college when she was attacked by a man who pushed her against a fence.

The teenager managed to escape but she was attacked again in a grassy area and raped. The woman was taken to Addenbrooke's suffering from shock.

The police helicopter was used to search the area and more than ten police officers spent yesterday carrying out house-to-house enquiries.

The man has been described as white, with an oval face, in his early 30s, 5ft 7ins tall, of medium build, clean-shaven and spoke with a local accent.

He was wearing a dark long sleeve top, similar to a fleece, and had short cropped hair.

A police spokesman said: "It must have been a shocking experience for her and obviously we are very keen to speak to anyone with any information.

"We take cases of rape extremely seriously and we would especially like to speak to the taxi driver who may have heard or seen something vital."

Anyone with any information about the attack should contact detectives at Parkside Police Station on 01223 358966 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.