RAPE victims face a “postcode lottery” over whether their attackers are brought to justice, it has been claimed.

Figures show that Cleveland and North Yorkshire police areas have the best conviction rates in the country.

In Cleveland, nearly one in five reported rapes led to a conviction for rape in 2007, the report said.

In North Yorkshire, one in six women who made a complaint saw their attacker prosecuted.

However, the figures obtained from the Ministry of Justice by equality campaigner the Fawcett Society, show that in the Durham Police area a conviction was recorded in only one in 20 cases.

And while the conviction rate increased from 2006 to 2007 in Cleveland and North Yorkshire, it fell in Durham.

In response, Gillian Porter, organisational performance manager for Durham Police, said it was important to remember that there were a number of stages involved before an allegation of rape went to court.

She said: “Only last year, the national rape advisor to Association of Chief Police Officers visited Durham to identify best practices that could be shared.

“Nearly 70 per cent of cases which make it to court end up in a conviction in the Durham Police area, a rate which we believe is one of the best in the UK.”

Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Simpson, from Cleveland Police, said: “Within the force we have given a number of officers specialist training to deal with victims of rape and these officers are always deployed whenever an allegation of rape is received.

“The opening of the sexual assault referral centre in 2007 has also been a big step forward in improving victim care.”

Nationally, fewer than one in 60 women in Dorset who reported a rape secured a conviction.

Rape conviction rates between 2006 and 2007 fell in 16 out of 42 police force areas, the society added.