Man raped and robbed in Sunderland, police say

The incident is thought to have happened sometime between him leaving a nightclub in Holmeside in the early hours Sunday morning and 5.30am

A 23-year-old man has been raped and robbed in Sunderland, police said (Getty)

A 23-year-old man has been raped and robbed in Sunderland, police said.

The man was attacked in the Panns Bank area in the city centre after a night out. His gold iPhone 6 and wallet were also stolen.

Police said in a statement on Sunday that it was “thought the incident happened sometime between him leaving a nightclub in Holmeside in the early hours of this morning and 5.30am this morning”.

Detective Inspector Dave Swinburne, of Northumbria Police, added that there would be “additional officers in the area carrying out regular patrols and speaking to people”.

“If anyone is concerned I would urge them to speak to an officer. We also have specialist officers working with the victim to offer him support at this time and this will continue throughout our investigation,” he said.

“There are properties nearby to where the incident happened and it may be that someone was in the area and saw something or has information that can help with our enquiries.

“We're working to identify who the offender is and would ask anyone who has information to come forward and speak to us.”