A RAPIST threatened a young man with a weapon before attacking him, police have revealed.

The 25-year-old victim was walking home from a night out with friends in Dumfries in the early hours of Sunday when a man approached him.

The assailant, who may have had a foreign accent, brandished a weapon before he forced the man onto a grassy area where the attack lasted several minutes.

Police revealed further details of the incident as patrols were stepped up in the town in an effort to reassure the public.

Detective Inspector Scott Young of Police Scotland said: “At about 1am on Sunday the victim was returning from an evening socialising with friends in Dumfries town centre.

“As he approached the area of Millburn Avenue and Broom Road, an unidentified offender has approached him, presented a weapon and taken him to a secluded area out of public view. He has then been subjected to a terrifying attack and raped.”

The suspect is just over 6ft tall, stocky and muscular and had dark clothing.