I won't be hounded out of my home by harassment

Brian Leslie Paylor said he has been subjected to months of abuse by people in his village after the allegations came to light.

He told The Northern Echo that he had been abused in the street, had children bang on his windows and had received anonymous phone calls.

Despite being cleared of four charges of sexual abuse at Teesside Crown Court in May, Mr Paylor said the harassment had continued.

The 66-year-old said he had considered leaving his home in Middleton St George, near Darlington, but was now determined to take a defiant stance and stay put.

He said: "People are saying stuff to me in the street; they are shouting things like pervert.

"I feel terrible, I am sick of it. I have thought about leaving the village because of this, but I have never done these things, I would never do it.

"I want people to know that I am not going to run away, I want these people to know I am staying put."

Mr Paylor stood trial in January accused of two rapes, attempted rape and three indecent assaults.

Giving evidence during the trial, he said: "It is all completely made up and I do not know why."

A jury returned not guilty verdicts on one rape charge and one of indecent assault, and was unable to reach a verdict on the remaining counts.

The Crown Prosecution Service decided to try him again in May on four charges of rape, indecent assault and attempted rape.

The jury again failed to return verdicts on all counts and he was formally cleared of the sexual assaults and not guilty verdicts were recorded.

The Crown Prosecution Service decided it was not in the public interest to have another re-trial.

He had been accused of carrying out the assaults from 1977 to 1982 and carrying out the attempted rape in about 1999 or 2000.

Mr Paylor, who has learning difficulties, said the alleged abuse had reminded him of his school days when he was bullied.

He said: "It has taken me back to those days, but if these people don't like it, they can lump it."