Man arrested and charged with rape after Crimewatch appeal

A north Shropshire man wanted by police in connection with an alleged rape of a teenage girl has been arrested and charged following a television appeal.

Thomas Anthony Fleet was arrested on behalf of West Mercia Police by officers in Southampton, Hampshire, yesterday following information from members of the public.

He was brought back to Shropshire and charged with rape. He is due to appear before Telford Magistrates Court this morning.

Fleet was named on BBC1's Crimewatch on Tuesday - 14 months after a teenage girl was allegedly raped in the county.

Six viewers called the show reporting some possible sightings of him, show presenters said in the Crimewatch Update show.

Detective Sarah Wagstaff thanked all those people who had called in following an appeal to trace his whereabouts.

"As a result of that, we received a very good response and a man, later confirmed as Thomas Fleet, was arrested in the Southampton area by Hampshire Police yesterday," she said.

"I wish to thank the public, especially all those who called in, for their assistance with our appeal."

Police believed Fleet was living in the south of England where he was busking and telling people he was on the run after a burglary.