FOUR men have been jailed for more than 71 years after being found guilty of raping a woman in Northolt.

The group subjected the victim to a prolonged and repeated attack after meeting her at a nightclub in August 2017.

Alexandru Cimbir, 40, of Rabournmead Drive, Northolt, was sentenced to 18-and-a-half years' imprisonment.

Octavian Lupu, 31, of Hayes, was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment.

Andrei Rotaru, 25, of Littlehampton, was sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment.

Dmitri Ceban, 28, of Hayes, was sentenced to 16 years' imprisonment.

The court heard that the four men were together at a nightclub in Ealing on August 12 2017.

Lupu was seen on CCTV approaching several women before dancing with the victim and buying her drinks.

She had originally planned to get a taxi home, but her mobile wasn't working so she left the club with Lupu who offered to help organise a taxi home.

The victim was then put in the back of a car and was driven to an address in Northolt where she was repeatedly raped by all four men, in an attack that lasted approximately 90 minutes.

Following the assault, the suspects arranged for a taxi to take her home.

She managed to get to a hospital where she contacted the police who began an investigation.

Officers were able to use CCTV from inside the nightclub and the venue's ID entry system to identify the four men who were then arrested.

They all denied the allegations and gave varying accounts of the events that took place that evening.

They were all sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court last Wednesday, May 12.

Detective Constable Angie Meadows, who worked on the investigation, said: "Over the course of my career this is one of the worst assaults I have ever dealt with and they deserve such lengthy prison sentences.

"The victim was on a night out with her friends when she was subjected to a horrific ordeal by these men who have expressed no remorse for their actions throughout the course of the investigation.

"I hope that the conclusion of the case gives the victim some closure that she can begin moving forward with her life.

"She has shown great courage and bravery in standing up to her attackers and supporting the investigation.

"Women's safety remains a top priority for the Met and we would encourage anyone who has been a victim or witnessed a sexual assault to contact police.

"You will be supported by our specially trained officers who will give advice and take all allegations seriously."