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A man who has spent three years in jail has been freed after an appeal found that his victim may have lied.

Nadeem Aslam, 45, was jailed for 13 years after being found guilty of a string of sex attacks, but now that conviction has been overturned.

The Court of Appeal heard that the victim, who cannot be identified, had asked a witness if the jury would "feel sorry" for her if she cried while giving evidence.

The witness told the appeal court that the accuser said: "If the jury feel sorry for me, will he get a prison sentence?

"If I cry, do I look in the camera when I cry?"

The court also heard that his accuser had indicated that she was going to fabricate evidence against him and told people after the trial that she had lied to the jury.

Mr Aslam, from Burnage, Greater Manchester, denied all charges but was found guilty and jailed at Manchester Crown Court in December 2010.

There was also 'fresh evidence' from a number of other witnesses, which indicated the woman had admitted making up her allegations against Mr Aslam, the judges were told.

Clearing Aslam after the hearing, Lord Justice Laws said the new evidence of one witness 'strongly suggested' that, before the start of the trial, the accuser was 'at least contemplating' that she might lie to the jury.

Sitting with Mr Justice Andrews and Judge Nicholas Cooke QC, Lord Justice Laws said the evidence from other witnesses proved that she told them that the accusations were false.

He added: "She was prepared, in the immediate aftermath of the appellant's conviction, to tell these witnesses that she had made a false accusation: and that, in our judgment, is what their evidence proves.

"In view of our conclusions as to what the fresh evidence proves, we are bound to find that the appellant's convictions are unsafe.

"The appeal is allowed."

He confirmed there would be no retrial.