Two men accused of raping a married British holidaymaker in Dubai have told of their relief after the case against them was dropped.

Louis Harris and David Butlin are 'over the moon' after being freed to fly home to the UK after prosecutors said they had not committed any sex crime.

In their first interview since being cleared of gang rape the men said they had been through a 'roller coaster' of emotions that has left them shattered.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, former footballer Harris, 24, said: 'We have been branded gang rapists with no evidence whatsoever.

'We can't change what happened but people's lives are being ruined because of this.'

On legal advice they are not permitted to talk about their accuser, but Harris added: 'We would not want any woman to be arrested and put in prison. Nobody should go through what we've been through.'

Cleared: British holidaymakers Louis Harris, left, and David Butlin, right have been cleared of rape in Dubai after the case against them was dismissed. Today they told MailOnline of their relief that their 'nightmare' is over and said they just want to get home

Free to fly home: Harris, left, and Butlin, right, were accused of raping a British woman in a hotel room in Dubai last month. The worried pair told of their relief after prosecutors studied mobile phone footage of the alleged rape and dropped the case against the two men

The men said they had to remain strong for the sake of their families following the allegations from their 25-year-old accuser that the Dubai authorities found to be false.

The IT consultant waived her right to anonymity with one national newspaper after making the rape allegation and being arrested on charges of extra-marital sex.

She has given several interviews to that newspaper and it appeared she had allowed herself to be photographed after an online campaign was launched by her parents to raise £30,000 for lawyers fees.

Prosecutors in Dubai dropped the case against the pair after they said they had looked at a mobile phone video taken by one of the men which showed the sex was consensual.

The Dubai Public Prosecutors office said examination of the mobile phone video 'showed the act happened with the consent of the three parties in question'.

The woman, who is separated from her husband of two years, had stopped in the United Arab Emirates on her way to Australia where she was hoping to start a new life.

She had claimed that the pair raped her in the popular £160-a-night Ramada Plaza Jumeirah Beach Resort on October 22nd.

All three had their passports confiscated by police and were prevented from leaving the country as an investigation into the incident was carried out.

The decision by prosecutors not to proceed, and drop the extra marital sex charges against the woman, means all can return to the UK.

Tattooed Butlin, stood behind, 22, and Harris, in the pink shirt, 24, appeared in an image posted on James Argent's (left) Instagram account just days after the two men were released on bail

Free to go home: The cleared defendants were accused of raping the unnamed woman in the £160-a-night Ramada Plaza Jumiera Beach Resort on October 22. The pair posted pictures of themselves on Instagram at the exclusive Ibiza-style Blue Marlin Club

Harris, who lives with his parents in a £700,000 rural property near Lichfield, Staffordshire, and Butlin a businessman and market trader who also lives with his parents in a £600,000 property in a plush gated community in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, spoke at their lawyer’s office in Dubai.

The strain on the pair, who have their passports back, was evident as they talked nervously about their time in the Gulf state since the alleged incident.

'We are very relieved that it is over. Really happy, and so are our families, ' said Harris. 'We have been waiting a couple of days to go, but the sooner the better.'

Butlin said they had been through 'a roller coaster of emotions' - adding: 'We have had to stay strong for our families back home. If we had crumbled it would have been much tougher on them.'

Butlin said it had been 'heartbreaking' to call their parents after the rape allegation was first made and tell then they were not coming home.

The men are not allowed to talk about the alleged rape, mobile phone filming or the circumstances of meeting the woman.

In one interview the woman said she hope the truth would come out.

Harris, a former academy footballer with Wolverhampton Wanderers, said they were 'over the moon' the decision was made to release them.

Collecting their passports: The two men said 'nobody should have to go through our ordeal' as they prepared to fly home to the UK

Going home: Butlin, who lives with his parents, said it had been 'heartbreaking' to call them after the rape allegation was first made and tell then they were not coming home

'Our priority now is to get back home to our families,' he said.

'We are over the moon that the truth has finally come out but this has only just begun for us. We have not even started, but will say more when we are back home.'

They were vilified on social media after a photograph of them posing with reality star James Argent was published.

Friends of the woman accused Harris and Butlin of 'sunbathing and boozing' after the 'selfie' taken at a beach club was published.

Harris said he can't talk about the photo but wanted to thank Argent, a star of The Only Way is Essex, for standing by them.

'I am sure his phone was going crazy after that but I want to thank him for standing by us and hearing the truth.'

Butlin said he had been on the phone from Dubai trying to keep his business going while he waited for the police investigation to be completed.

'We always had great faith in the justice system here. We knew what was right and they would see it,' said Butlin.

Lawyers for the men said the decision by the public prosecutor to drop the case clearly showed that there had been many 'false' stories surrounding the incident.

Legal advisor Wageh Amin AbdelAziz from the World Centre Advocates and Consultants firm who have represented the pair since they were detained, said: 'We need to say this rape never happened and was never mentioned by the police or public prosecutor. It was only mentioned by the media.

'The girl was not arrested when she went to make the rape complaint.

Relaxed: The men told MailOnline of their relief after they were told the case against them had been dismissed and that they are free to go home. They collected their passports this morning

'After she made the complaint and police started their investigation they came to the conclusion there was no case to answer. What took place was consensual by all three parties.'

Mr AbdelAziz said Harris, Butlin and the woman were charged with sex outside marriage, which is illegal in the strict Gulf state.

'After the investigation was completed by the police and prosecutor they reached the conclusion there was no rape committed,' he said.

Harris and Butlin were staying in a £300 a night room at the Ramada Plaza Jumeriah Hotel when they met the woman.

The rape is alleged to have taken place in their hotel room and reported to police the following morning.

The woman said when she made the rape allegation she was charged with having sex outside marriage and thrown in jail for several days. She was bailed and stayed with a British family and is said to have volunteered to work on a farm.

Friends said she was under enormous pressure and was comforted by her father who flew out to Dubai.

Earlier his week the Dubai Public Prosecutor announced he was dropping all charges.

A statement said: 'The office of Dubai Public Prosecutor has closed the case involving the alleged rape of British national ZJM following careful examination of all evidence.'

'A thorough review of statements given by the British woman and the two suspects as well as the reports of investigating officers from the Dubai Police showed that the act happened with the consent of the three parties in question.

'A video obtained from the mobile phone of one of the suspects detailing the act was a key evidence that supported this conclusion.'

Despite being held in Dubai for almost a month neither Harris or Butlin have any bitterness towards the country and said they would love to return.

Harris said: 'We want to thank Dubai for standing with us, and thank our legal consultants who have been great. Everyday we have been speaking to them, and they have been putting our mind at rest.

Popular hotel: The woman told police the attack took place in the popular £160-a-night Ramada Plaza Jumeirah Beach Resort, pictured

'Over the moon': Thai boxer Butlin and his cousin Harris, from the West Midlands, were drinking with the woman in a hotel bar. She later alleged to police that she had been attacked by the men in a hotel room and that the alleged rape had been recorded on a mobile phone

'The British Embassy has also been great with us.

'Dubai is a great country and very safe and there is no better place in the world. No one should feel afraid to come to this country.

'Even when we were arrested we were treated professionally. We were not harmed in any way and always treated with respect.'