A 52-year-old man from Sutton has been jailed for eight years for raping a woman after escaping justice for nearly 20 years.

Andrew Boys, of Reading Road, was found guilty of rape after a cold-case review and was sentenced yesterday, September 7, at Southwark Crown Court.

The attack in 1998 happened after the woman, who was 26 at the time, got into Boys's car in central London thinking it was a minicab.

Boys drove in the direction of her home in south-west London before arriving at a remove spot in Bagley’s Lane, Fulham.

The woman attempted to escape the car but all doors had been locked. Boys forced her into the back of the vehicle before raping her.

After the sexual assault, Boys drove his victim to her home where she contacted police.

The first investigation failed to identify a suspect.

However, years later Boys was arrested for an unrelated matter.

A DNA review of forensic evidence gathered at the time of the attack linked the crime to Boys almost two decades later in 2015.

On December 3 of that year he was arrested and charged with rape and false imprisonment before finally being sentenced yesterday.

Detective Sergeant Gemma Robb, of the sexual offences command, who led the most recent investigation, said: "The fact that this attack happened nearly 20 years ago acted as no barrier to us in our pursuit of Boys.

"I hope this sentencing encourages victims that no matter how much time has past, we will continue to pursue those responsible.

“I trust that Boys’ conviction can help the woman he attacked to move on from her horrific ordeal. Anyone who has been the victim of such an attack should contact police and report the crime, you will be believed and you will be supported."