David Newton, 55, of Yew Tree Walk, admitted charges of attempted murder, rape, attempted rape and false imprisoment when he appeared via videolink from prison at Bradford Crown Court on Monday.

The father-of-four was arrested in June this year in Cornwall after a four-day nationwide manhunt when police took the unusual step of naming him in connection with the two attacks.

A 52-year-old woman was knocked to the ground and punched in the face repeatedly until she lost consciousness as she walked her dog on Ilkley Moor in 2006.

When she came round, she was being strangled and lost conciousness again but managed to survive. Detectives at the time called her ordeal an “horrific attack”.

Officers investigating the incident on the moor found the attacker was the same man who had raped a 16-year-old girl at knifepoint in 1997 in Halton, Leeds, and forced her brother to lie in bushes nearby. The attack happened as the pair searched for frogspawn.

On Monday, he admitted raping the girl and the false imprisonment of her brother.

He also admitted attempting to murder and rape the woman on Ilkley Moor. No details of the incidents were outlined in court.

Newton was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at Bradford Crown Court on October 24.