A graveyard cordoned off by police after a woman was raped in the early hours should be locked at night, say neighbours.

The attack happened at 4.15am on Thursday, February 23 in Longport.

Police were at the scene for hours following the incident, with both entrances to the former St Paul’s churchyard taped off, while detectives investigated the rape of a woman in her late 20s.

Margaret Allen, who lives next to the graveyard in Albert Road, says she could hear people talking outside her house in the early hours when it happened.

“The talking kept me awake this morning,” she said.

“The entrance through the graveyard is kept open at night and there are always people hanging around in there.”

Mrs Allen, 73, says she has previously urged the council to close the gates in the evening, branding the area a haven for cannabis users. It has also been a haven for drunks in the past and has had an alcohol control order imposed on it.

“We asked the council to close the gates in the evening,” said Mrs Allen.”

“There’s people there every night selling cannabis to students.”

Barton ward councillor Oliver Fawcett is backing calls for the gates to be locked in the evening.

“I have heard there are problems and it causes a risk to young people and families,” he said.

“We will look at the logistics - who owns the land and how we would go about starting this.

“There’s a difference between college kids hanging around in the daytime and it turning into a hostile environment at night.”

Students living in Albert Road said they would not walk through the graveyard at night.

Psychology and sports exercise student George Wright said: “There’s shady stuff going on and it always smells of weed.

“If its dark we would never walk through there, we’ll just go the long way round to uni.”

Dhiren Patel studies at Canterbury Christ Church University.

He said: “We would never go through there at night.”

Both the city council and Diocese of Canterbury deny ownership of the land.

If you have any information about the rape call police on 01843 222289, quoting reference number 23-0097.