A 21-year-old man was tonight charged with the rape of an elderly woman in a Shropshire village cemetery. The man, who comes from the Oswestry area, has also been charged with theft.

He will appear before Shrewsbury magistrates in the morning. The charges arise from an incident in the cemetery at Hengoed, near Oswestry between 4pm and 4.20pm on Thursday.

The man was arrested on Sunday afternoon and held in custody at Shrewsbury for questioning.

Investigations into the incident are continuing and any possible witnesses should contact Shrewsbury police station on 0300-333-3000.