A Methodist minister has led a special service of hope to bring the community together after a woman was allegedly raped outside a church in Surrey.

The incident is reported to have happened outside Epsom Methodist Church in the early hours of last Saturday.

Around 200 protestors gathered in Epsom this week demanding information about the suspects from police. Some residents said people had arrived from outside the area causing the situation to descend into “total chaos”.

The church’s minister Rev Catherine Hutton said she was “shocked and appalled” by the attack which had caused a “universal outpouring of anger” in the area. But she described the following protests as "intimidating" and added: “Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that, and that is why we are having an act of hope for the community so we can stand together and declare we are good people.”

The 'Hope for Epsom' service invited people to come together in “love and grace” and was attended by members of the public together with local community leaders, police and clergy.

Rev Catherine said: “Today our community gathers to demonstrate our love for the people of Epsom. People of Epsom we are kind. Together we build the future of hopeful Epsom.”

Surrey Police said enquiries into the alleged incident are continuing. East Surrey Chief Superintendent Mark Chapman urged people not to speculate about the suspects, warning it could increase tensions within local communities.