A RAILWAY worker from Appledore, near Ashford, has been charged in connection with a series of rapes across South East England.

Antoni Adam Imiela, 48, faces nine charges of rape on women and young girls.

Imiela, who is married, was arrested on Monday night at a roadblock near junction five of the M20 motorway and held at Folkestone police station.

Imiela is charged with raping a 10-year-old girl in Ashford, on 15 November 2001; raping a 12-year-old girl in Bracknell, Berks, on 1 July; raping a 30-year-old woman in Earlswood, Surrey, on 11 July; raping a 26-year-old woman on Putney Heath, south west London, on 11 July; raping an 18-year-old woman in Woking, Surrey, on 16 July; raping a 52-year-old woman on Wimbledon Common, south west London, on 6 August; raping a 26-year-old woman in Epsom, Surrey, on 7 August; raping a 13-year-old girl near Woking on 6 September and raping of a 14-year-old girl in Stevenage, Herts, on October 25.

Imiela is due in court in Canterbury on Saturday.

The alleged attacks were the subject of Operation Orb, the largest investigation of its type since the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper in the 1980s. It involved officers from five forces.

Supt Mark Warwick, acting head of Operation Orb, said: "This is a complex investigation which has involved five police forces working together in close co-operation. The co-operation and close working continues."