Joseph McCann arrested in Congleton after new abductions
Image copyright Met Police Police hunting a fugitive over the abduction and rapes of three women in and around London have arrested a man after the abduction of two other women in Cheshire.
In the latest incident on Sunday, two women were forced into a black Fiat Punto in Congleton town centre.
After a car chase and further searches, Joseph McCann was found in a tree on a rural lane near the town.
Trained negotiators spoke to Mr McCann, 34, before his arrest.
The Punto was spotted in Congleton on Sunday evening by officers and, following a short chase, the car stopped on Obelisk Way having collided with another car.
The women were left behind as the driver ran off.
Police immediately placed road checks in the area and shortly after 23:00 BST they revealed they had found a suspect.
In a statement before the arrest, Cheshire Constabulary said: “The man has been secured by officers in a rural area of Congleton and is currently talking to trained negotiators.
“There remains an increased police presence in the local area.
“The two women abducted in Congleton were not injured. However, they have been left extremely shaken as a result of their ordeal and are currently being supported by specially trained officers.”
Mr McCann was also wanted for questioning over the abduction and rape of a 21-year-old woman at knifepoint in Watford, Hertfordshire, in the early hours of 21 April.
During that attack, the victim was approached by a man holding a knife in Hagden Lane at about 03:30 BST.
She was forced into a blue Ford Mondeo and driven around the town for six hours before being raped.
Met Police detectives then launched an appeal to find Mr McCann after two women in their 20s were snatched off streets in London on 25 April.
A woman was abducted in Chingford at about 00:30, with another snatched at 12:15 in Edgware.
Both women, aged in their 20s, were raped before being driven to a hotel in Watford, where the attacker attempted to book a room but left when one was unavailable.
The women escaped following a struggle in Osborne Road at about 14:30.
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