Police are this morning quizzing a man over the rape of an 87-year-old Great Yarmouth woman in her own home.Officers arrested the 41-year-old local man, who has not yet been named, after raiding an address near Gorleston late last night.

THE family of an 87-year-old woman who was raped in her Great Yarmouth home on Easter Monday have released a statement through police.

In it the family thanks police and social services “for all their efforts and kindness at this difficult time.”

It adds: “Our mother/grandmother is receiving excellent care after such a horrendous attack.”

The family add they will not be making any further statements.

Police continue to question a 41-year-old man who was arrested last night at an address in Gorleston.

The head of a massive manhunt to find a rapist had earlier described the alleged crime as one of the most serious he has seen.

Det Insp Stuart Armes was speaking as his team of 20 officers continued to investigate the rape, which happened at the woman's home on Easter Monday.

The woman dialled 999 on Monday night after she was attacked in her home in the Victoria Road and St Peter's Road area between 3pm and 8.45pm. She is traumatised and specially trained officers are trying to coax information from her.

Det Insp Armes, who has been in the police for 20 years, said he had only come across this type of crime once in his career - the rape of a 71-year-old woman in West Harling in 1994. He said: “We are talking about an elderly woman who was attacked and raped in her home. This is about as serious as it gets.

“This individual has committed an offence well and above the tolerance level of the public, who will see this is a very serious crime.”

Police say the rapist would have been highly noticeable in the area as it had been snowing and not many people were out at the time. Members of a Yarmouth scooter rally may have seen suspicious activity in the area.

The victim, who has family in the area and was said to have always kept her front door locked, is now being looked after at a residential home.She was injured during the rape.

Det Insp Armes said: “I would like to reiterate that offences like this one - where an elderly person is attacked in their own home - are extremely rare.”