65-year-old woman last night.

Police Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay said the unidentified man was under caution, not under arrest.

He told The Royal Gazette : "One individual was taken into custody for interviewing purposes but the investigation in that regard is ongoing.

"He is not under arrest. He is helping Police with their inquiries.'' The victim was raped early on Saturday morning at her home in Paget.

Detectives said the attacker forced himself on the pensioner despite her cries.

Major Incident Room detectives, investigating the rape, would not give further details of their case.

A Police spokesman said: "All we are saying is that nobody has been arrested but we do have somebody helping us with our inquiries.'' But Mr. Lemay issued fresh appeals for witnesses last night, stressing the hunt was still on for the rapist. The Commissioner, flanked by Public Safety Minister Paula Cox at a press conference, said: "We are interested in information from anyone who may have been suspicious or who may have seen suspicious activity near the Red Hole area, near Buena Vista on Harbour Road, between midnight and 6 a.m. on Saturday. "We have been given a very good description of the suspect and the investigation is progressing. We are proceeding now with leads.'' Police have already described the attacker as black, medium build, around five-foot-nine, with medium to dark brown skin and full lips.

He was clean shaven and wore a dark jacket, possibly with a hood, and dark knitted gloves.

The man climbed in through the woman's bedroom window, attacked her, then escaped.

Ms Cox said the crime was a "bestial'' attack. She added: "This is a critical juncture we are at.

"These are very disquieting, very disturbing events. I would just like to underscore the Government's concern at the recent attack and I want to reaffirm the Police mandate, which is the maintenance of law and order and assuring public safety. "We will use the tools at our disposal to reassure the community and let them know that we will not shirk our responsibilities.'' Mr. Lemay, describing the rape as a "violent tragedy'', said Police may also issue a computer image of their prime suspect in the days ahead.

And he appealed to the elderly and their carers to take extra safety steps to prevent crime.

He said senior citizens should: Raise their crime concerns to the parish constable, neighbourhood watch scheme or Police Senior Consultative Group; make their homes as secure as possible using good quality locks, outdoor lighting and alarm systems; ask Police crime prevention officers to carry out a free home security survey; give relatives details and a phone number when going out; secure homes before going out and walk in well-lit areas on the street, avoiding dark buildings and carrying bags under arms, away from traffic; have door keys ready when approaching home and go next door to call 911 if there may be an intruder in the house.

Elderly people can also be placed on the vulnerable persons register.

Mr. Lemay said most criminals were "opportunists'', who saw children and the elderly as easy targets.

But he added: "Remember...the first instinct of most thieves when they have been confronted is to run away.'' Anyone with information about the rape is asked to call incident room detectives on 299-4315 or the Crimestoppers hotline on 1-800-623-8477.

Full crime prevention tips are given in the "Senior Citizens Advice'' brochure, available from the Bermuda Police Crime Prevention Unit.