THE man charged with raping with a young woman in town centre flat has been released from custody, pending further investigations.

Police initially detained the 22-year-old following reports of a serious sexual assault a property on Candleriggs Court, Alloa, during the early hours of Sunday morning.

The area was cordoned off well into Monday afternoon as officers led a detailed examination of the address.

Officers later charged a suspect with rape and he had been due to appear at Alloa Sheriff Court yesterday afternoon.

But before he could do so, he was released by prosecutors.

However, the case has not been dropped, and investigations will continue in the meantime.

A Crown Office spokesperson told the Advertiser: “The procurator fiscal received a report concerning a 22 year-old male in connection with an alleged incident in Alloa on, September 17, 2017.

“He was liberated from custody pending further inquiries and did not appear in court.”

Prosecutors reserve the right to bring the accused, whose name has not been released, back to court in the future.

Earlier this week, police were offering support for the alleged victim, said to be in her 20s.

Additional patrols were also being carried out in an attempt to provide "reassurance" to the public.

Detective Inspector Hugh Louden of Forth Valley's public protection unit confirmed: "Our inquiries are ongoing and I'm keen to speak to anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious in the Candleriggs Court area of Alloa [on Sunday] morning.

"There will be additional officers on patrol to offer reassurance and I would encourage anyone who may be able to assist to speak to them or call police."

Anyone who has any information regarding the incident can contact police in Alloa on 101 or can give details anonymously through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.