Police have thanked a regional daily for its help in bringing a rapist to justice.

Matthew White, of Witcombe, near Bristol, challenged police to “come and find him” when he answered the mobile phone of a woman he had just attacked.

But he was eventually forced to hand himself in after CCTV images of him appeared in the Bristol Post.

Police praised the paper yesterday after White was sentenced to six years for rape and attempted rape at Bristol Crown Court.

Investigating officer Det Con Alan Smith said: “During the course of our enquiries, we managed to obtain CCTV images of White and publish them. When he saw the images of himself in the Bristol Post he was left with no choice but to hand himself in.

“I would like to thank the Bristol Post and all the media organisations which published the CCTV images for their assistance with this inquiry.”

White, 34, met him 19-year-old victim outside the Oceana nightclub in Bristol at around 2am on 25 August 2012.

He took her to his former address in the suburb of Clifton where he raped her.

Det Con Smith added:  “During police interviews and throughout his defence case, White tried to claim they had consensual sex, but the evidence was too strong and the jury saw through his excuses and have convicted him of both counts.”

“I would like to praise the courage of the victim for making the initial complaint and then supporting our case throughout.”