A 48-YEAR-OLD rail worker from the region was last night charged in connection with the "trophy rapist" sex attacks in South-East England.

Antoni Imiela, from Appledore, near Ashford, Kent, but originally from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was charged with nine rapes of young girls and women.

Confirmation of the charges against Mr Imiela, who was arrested earlier this week, came from Detective Superintendent Mark Warwick, of Thames Valley Police, the acting head of Operation Orb.

The operation was set up to investigate the attacks, and the assailant had been dubbed the "trophy rapist" because he often took an item of clothing from his victims.

He struck in London, Kent, Berkshire, Surrey and Hertfordshire, prompting the forces involved to launch the biggest manhunt since the Yorkshire Ripper.

Mr Imiela - arrested in his car at a police road block on the M20 near Ashford on Monday - is due to appear before Canterbury magistrates this morning.

The charges relate to:

* The rape of a ten-year-old girl in Ashford, Kent, on November 15, 2001

* The rape of a 12-year-old girl in Bracknell, Berkshire, last July 1

* The rape of a 30-year-old woman in Earlswood, Surrey, on July 11

* The rape of a 26-year-old woman on Putney Common, south west London, on July 11

* The rape of an 18-year-old woman in Woking, Surrey, on July 16

* The rape of a 52-year-old woman on Wimbledon Common, south-west London, on August 6

* The rape of a 26-year-old woman in Epsom, Surrey, on August 7

* The rape of a 13-year-old girl near Woking on September 6

* The rape of a 14-year-old girl in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, on October 25.

Mr Imiela was charged by Kent Police officers at 7.49pm, after which Det Supt Warwick said: ''This is a complex investigation which has involved five police forces working together in close cooperation. The cooperation and close working continues.''

Earlier this week, Mr Imiela's North-East family spoke of their shock and protested his innocence, after it was revealed that he had been arrested.

His 19-year-old son, Aidan Imiela, who lives with his mother in Newton Aycliffe, said: "Everyone in the family is totally devastated, shocked and upset because we know my dad would never do anything like this."

A divorcee, Mr Imiela re-married two years ago to wife, Christine, who has a daughter Cheryl, 15.

He now works as a safety supervisor with a railway contracting firm in Kent.

Aidan added: "We have a very close family and we will rally round to make sure he gets through this and we give him all the love and support that he deserves."

The Imiela family, which is of Polish extraction, has been in Newton Aycliffe for at least two generations.

Mr Imiela has two sisters who both still live in in the town, one of them in the family home where he was brought up.