A MAN accused of sex offences involving two young girls, including the rape of one, was today cleared of the last two of the charges.

Edwin Christopher Shield, who has been in custody since the complaints were made in early February, was free to return home for the first time in more than nine months last night, after a jury at Durham Crown Court returned 'not guilty' verdicts.

Mr Shield, 42, denied charges of rape and sex assault on an eight-year-old girl, plus sex assault and inciting a child to indulge in sexual activity, relating to a nine-year-old girl.

Both offences were alleged to have happened in south-west Durham over the weekend of January 29/30 this year. He was cleared on both charges involving the nine-year-old following a four-day trial at the court, in July.

The jury failed to reach verdicts on the two counts relating to the eight-year-old.

Following consultation between the family of the alleged victim, the senior police officer in the investigation and the case lawyer from the Crown Prosecution Service, it was decided to seek a re-trial on the two outstanding charges.

As a result Mr Shield, who lives alone in Manor Grove, Cockfield, near Bishop Auckland, was further remanded in custody.

The re-trial opened on Monday and the girl involved in the allegation had to undergo the ordeal of giving evidence, by video link, for the second time.

It was alleged that she was waylaid in an alleyway by Mr Shield, who then raped her, carried out a further sexual assault before punching her and warning her not to tell anyone.

The court heard that her parents noticed a change in her behaviour and she finally made the complaints two days later. It led to Mr Shield's arrest on February 2.

He denied the allegations, claiming they were "a pack of lies", and in evidence, on Tuesday (NOV 8) said he believed people had a grudge against him, claiming the girl must have been put up to make the accusation against him. Following today's unanimous jury verdicts, on the third day of the re-trial, Judge Peter Armstrong discharged Mr Shield, and told him: "You're free to go".