AN APPEAL in the Evening Advertiser led police to charge Swindon Pressings factory worker Keith Evans with rape, Swindon Crown Court heard yesterday.

Seven people contacted Swindon CID after a still photograph from CCTV footage taken at Angelo's nightclub was published in the newspaper, along with a report about the investigation.

Evans, 39, of Elborough Road, Moredon, denies raping a woman who he met at the club last Christmas.

The assault is alleged to have happened in an alleyway off Euclid Street in the early hours of December 22.

The court heard how, after seeing a picture of himself in the Advertiser Evans contacted his neighbour James Coates.

Prosecuting, Lynne Matthews told the court how Mr Coates read the article and challenged Evans about his movements. Evans told him he had gone to St Tropez health club on Victoria Road, Old Town, to pay a prostitute for sex.

Mr Coates, the court heard, contacted police and detectives interviewed Evans.

At first Evans told Detective Constable Ben Mant that he and the woman had gone to a restaurant and had left before food arrived, opting instead for a takeaway kebab.

They then parted, Evans said, with him going to the health club.

But in a second interview, which Mrs Matthews said was requested by Evans, he claimed to have struck a deal with the woman to have sex with him for £60 and when she screamed during the act he panicked, hit her and took her handbag to get his money back.

The court heard police investigating the scene of the alleged rape located the woman's mobile telephone by ringing it from the police station.

A member of the public found the woman's handbag, handed it back to her, and scenes of crime officers discovered items from the bag strewn around the location of the alleged rape.

Evans told the court that he had initially lied to police in order to save his marriage.

But Mrs Matthews argued to the court that his story was a total fabrication.

She said Evans punched the woman, forced her to perform a sexual act before raping her, punching her and stealing the handbag.

The jury was expected to retire to consider its verdict today.