RICCALL: A 21-year-old man has been charged with raping a woman in her own home.

He will appear before York magistrates today, accused of raping a woman in her 20s in the village of Riccall, between York and Selby, on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 10.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said the man, who is from the Riccall area, was last night refused bail by the custody sergeant.

The alleged incident happened after the woman went into a Costcutter store in Main Street on her way home from a bus stop.

As she left the store, she was stopped by a man who spoke to her, before following her home, forcing his way in to her house, and subjecting her to the alleged assault.

Updated: 10:40 Thursday, May 18, 2006