The video will start in 8 Cancel

Don't get stuck in a rut! Have the top stories straight to your inbox for free - once a day, every day Yes please! Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A young man cleared of rape is suing police and prosecutors after they failed to disclose evidence which proved him innocent.

This was in the form of thousands of text messages on a computer harddrive.

Liam Allan, 22, of south-east London said he lived in “a terrible limbo” as police withheld 40,000 messages from his accuser.

He was accused of 12 rapes and sex assaults and faced up to 20 years in jail if found guilty.

(Image: BBC)

But the case against Mr Allan at Croydon Crown Court was dropped after three days when the evidence on a computer disk containing 40,000 messages revealed the alleged victim pestered him for "casual sex", reports the Mirror.

Mr Allan, a criminology student, said he has “no choice” but to sue police and the Crown Prosecution Service, who have yet to offer an apology.

A judge at Croydon Crown Court called for an inquiry.

The Met is investigating after a new prosecutor found the messages.

Talking to the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme, Mr Allan said: "University is meant to be the best years of your life and the last two years have been spent worrying and not concentrating on anything.

"It has completely ripped apart my normal personal life.

"I feel relief on one side, that the case is over, but now there's the stress of getting compensation and the process of suing - so it's not over completely."