DETECTIVES investigating claims by a teenager that she was raped days before she fell to her death off a motorway bridge today arrested a man on suspicion of rape.

A team of officers carried out an early morning raid at the home of the 29-year-old man, who lives in Calmore.

Sara Clark claimed she was sexually assaulted on her way home after a night out in Southampton.

She was found by officers at near the children's play area at the recreation ground at Salisbury Road, Totton, where she had made a 999 call reporting the attack.

Three days later Sara died after plunging from a bridge over the M27 between junction three at Nursling and junction two at Ower.

At the time her parents said they felt their daughter thought police had not taken the allegation seriously.

The criticism was refuted at the time by police who insisted Sara had been seen several times and the allegation was taken very seriously.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission launched an investigation into Sara's death and the handling of her rape allegation by Hampshire Police.

Police launched a major investigation led by the county's major crime team, based at Hulse Road, in Southampton. It included a high-profile return to Southampton Central railway station where Sara's last moments before the alleged rape were captured on CCTV cameras.

Two men, who were seen at different times walking with Sara, later came forward and were ruled out of the inquiry.

Officers resorted to random DNA testing of men who worked at late-night fast food outlets in the Totton and Calmore areas.

Scores of people were swabbed and the results are understood to show a positive match.

The 29-year-old man is currently in custody assisting police with their inquiries.

A police spokesman said "This is a very significant development and follows continual close liaison between the enquiry team and colleagues from the Forensic Scientific Services".

"During the enquiry a number of men in the Totton area assisted the investigation by voluntarily supplying their DNA. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those people.

The investigating team would also like to acknowledge the considerable number of Totton residents who have provided varying levels of support and assistance and voluntarily coming forward to be interviewed.

Police have informed Sara's parents of today's developments.