A Shropshire man who tried to rape a lone woman walking home late at night will be able to work with children when he is released, after an appeal court ruling.

Muzammal Shahzad, 23, of Victoria Avenue, Wellington, admitted attempting to rape a woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, on January 10 last year when he appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court.

The hearing in June heard Shahzad had previously denied an alternative charge of rape and Judge Robin Onions said he would direct a not guilty verdict on that charge.

At a sentencing hearing in September, Shahzad was handed an indefinite restriction order after the judge heard how he had admitted attempting to rape the young woman.

Shahzad was made the subject of an open-ended hospital order under the 1983 Mental Health Act and was also disqualified from ever working with children.

But yesterday at London’s Court of Appeal Shahzad successfully challenged the ban.

Mr Justice Stadlen, sitting with Lord Justice Aikens and Mr Justice Mackay, ruled that the ban was inappropriate since it was intended to cover offences involving children, whereas Shahzad’s victim was in her 20s.

Allowing the appeal, Mr Justice Stadlen said: “It is clearly right that the order was unlawful.”

The woman was attacked while walking home through Wellington in January last year. She had been out for the night with friends and was trying to fix her mobile phone when she realised Shahzad was approaching her.

Although she tried to escape, he cornered and attacked her, leaving her traumatised.

After the woman reported the attack to police, forensic officers were called in to scour the area and seal off the alleyway off Tan Bank.

She was attacked as she walked between Robertsons Memorials and Telford Music Academy, close to the town centre, shortly before 3am on January 10.

By Kirsty Smallman