PILOT David Simpson has finally arrived home after a five-month ordeal in which he was charged with mass murder and left to languish in a rat-infested African jail.

Having been reuinted with his parents at the family’s pheasant farm on the North Yorkshire Moors, the 24-yearold visited his local, The Royal Oak, in the village of Gillamoor, for a pint with his father Peter.

He was jailed in the Central African Republic after reporting his discovery of 13 bodies with machete wounds in a wilderness area.

Mr Simpson, who worked as a manager and pilot for a Swedish safari company, Cawa, found the mutilated bodies in March as he cleared dense forest in Bakouma, an area in the south-east of the country.

The killings have been linked to supporters of Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony.

Mr Simpson – who was later charged with killing 13 illegal gold miners – was arrested with other staff members at Cawa and officials signalled they intended to force him to pay compensation to the dead men’s families.

While in prison, he suffered three malaria attacks and was told he could be executed if found guilty of the murders.

He was also caught up in a disturbance when rioters and looters armed with machetes and knives stole everything from the jail, including his possessions and the shirt from his back.

Foreign Secretary WIlliam Hague became involved in diplomatic efforts to release Mr Simpson and confirmed he has been cleared of all charges. The Richmond MP said: “I am delighted to confirm that David Simpson is now back in the UK.

“Government ministers and officials have worked hard on his behalf.

“I raised the case with Central African Republic Foreign Minister Gambi in August and am pleased that his case has now been resolved.

“Foreign Office Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds, has spoken to Mr Simpson’s family to pass on his and my best wishes.’’ It is believed Mr Simpson intends to return to the region after a month’s rest and set up an anti-poaching patrol organisation. His mother, Vicky, intends to visit him there.