DETECTIVES believe they are closing the net on a rapist responsible for a series of attacks.

The man, who has a North-East accent, has struck eight times during the past year in the south of England. A ninth victim managed to escape when her dog bit him.

Police confirmed yesterday that they had obtained a sample of the attacker's DNA from one of the crime scenes.

The development has been described as the first major breakthrough in the long-running inquiry.

More than 100 police officers from four forces in the London are hunting the man. They have recently completed DNA testing of more than 3,000 men - one of the largest operations of its kind undertaken.

A spokesman for Kent Police said: "Someone out there knows who this man is and they need to pick up the phone and tell us, because he is almost certainly going to strike again."

The attacker has always struck in urban areas on a weekday, grabbing women from behind and forcing them into undergrowth, brandishing a knife on one occasion.

In the majority of cases, he has taken clothing or property from his victims.

The man has raped two girls, aged ten and 12, and six women since last November in the Kent, Surrey, Berkshire and London areas.

Two victims, who were attacked in the Wimbledon area, have told police that the man is about 5ft 7in, in his thirties and has a North-East, possibly Geordie, accent. He has a stocky or muscular build, with ruddy complexion, and has ginger hair.

The investigation is to feature in the BBC's Crimewatch programme.