A POLICE investigation is under way after a 19-year-old woman was raped in a lane in Glasgow city centre.

The attack on the teenager happened on Renfrew Lane, behind the city's Pavilion Theatre and near the Cineworld cinema, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Officers closed the lane between Hope Street and Renfield Street as they investigated the scene. Plain clothes officers were seen carrying out inquiries.

A number of serious sexual attacks have taken place in the lanes behind Glasgow's main city centre streets in recent years, leading to calls for improvements to make the area safer. Last month a 22-year-old man was subjected to a serious assault in a lane between Parnie Street and the Trongate.

Previous proposals to improve safety have included gating the lanes at night, better lighting or development. In a 2006 pilot, city alleyways identified as crime hotspots were locked every evening.

Earlier this month Glasgow City Council approved plans to regenerate 90 of the city centre lanes over the next 17 months.

A police spokeswoman said: "Police investigating a report of a serious sexual assault on a 19 year old woman. Inquiries are at an early stage to establish the full circumstances."