A serial sex attacker who could have preyed on more than 70 Wandsworth women in a seven-year reign of terror could have been stopped if bungling police had matched his DNA sooner.

Kirk Reid, 44, was arrested for a series of sexual assaults on women across the borough in February 2008 despite police identifying him as a potential suspect four years earlier.

But in a chilling echo of the John Worboys case - who was jailed for drugging and sexually attacking 12 women, including victims from Putney and Balham, earlier this month - Reid was free to carry out a string of attacks on at least 20 more women before he was caught.

Now bungling Wandsworth police face disciplinary action after both cases were referred to police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) for review.

The investigation into the assaults began in 2001 following two similar reports of indecent assault in August and December - one in Burns Road, Battersea and the other in Crowborough Road in Tooting.

A third report of rape in Barringer Square, Tooting in March 2002 gave police a total of three DNA profiles.

But although they identified a possible series of 26 attacks on women between August 2001 and September 2002, it took them six years to catch Reid.

In January last year, the investigation was passed on to the Met Police Serious Crime Squad and within five days a DNA match linked Reid to the attacks.

Reid was subsequently charged and an internal police review in 2008 found he could be responsible for 71 attacks in Wandsworth.

However, police admit there could be many more victims out there who are yet to come forward.

Commander Mark Simmons, who heads the Met’s rape unit, Sapphire, said: “I had significant concerns regarding this case - in particular the time it took between Reid being identified as a suspect in 2004 and his arrest in 2008.

"As a result of this, I voluntarily referred the matter to the IPCC for investigation.

“This is a highly unusual case and I am very conscious it is hot on the heels of John Worboys conviction.

“I am also conscious of the impact this will have on rape victims coming forward in the future and the public’s faith in the police to deal with these reports.

“We want to learn all the lessons we can from these cases and are totally committed to doing the best we can for people who experience these offences.”

• If you think you may have been a victim of Reid or want to report a rape call police on 0800 121 4441.