Two men caught by police following a manhunt in Wiltshire have been charged with rape and other offences. 

Following an investigation, Thames Valley Police has confirmed that Adam Hastings and Reece Upton, who were arrested on Monday with the help of a Wiltshire Police Dog, have been charged.

Hastings, 28, of Kington St. Michael, Chippenham was charged with four counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual activity with a child.

Upton, also 28, of Reservoir Road, Gloucester was charged with one count each of rape, sexual assault and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

The charges relate to incidents in Newbury between April 21 and June 13.

The pair appeared at Oxford Magistrates Court on Thursday morning and were remanded to appear at Oxford Crown Court on July 26.

After their arrest, an open letter was written to members of the public from Doug Downing, County Hub Commander for Wiltshire Police. 

He said: "Last night’s arrest of two people wanted in connection with sexual offences followed an extensive search operation in the Devizes area over several days.

"In this instance, whilst we were able to draw on a wide range of assets including our dog and drone units, Neighbourhood Policing teams and technical staff, there is no doubt that support from our communities played a vital and significant role in this case - leading directly to the detention of the two suspects.

"The support, involvement and intelligence we have from the communities we serve plays such a vital role in helping us to Keep Wiltshire Safe.

"On behalf of Wiltshire Police, I would like to thank all members of the public who supported in this instance, meaning we were able to act swiftly to apprehend and arrest these offenders.

"I urge our communities to continue to provide community intelligence to us to help us to bring offenders to justice. Your support is truly invaluable.

"You can report a crime or submit intelligence to us on our website.

"You can also call 101 for non-urgent crimes or report anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

"In an emergency always call 999."