A senior Tory MP who spent his life savings defending himself against false rape claims today demanded legal aid cuts be reversed.

Nigel Evans - who voted for the reforms in 2012 - said his own experience of being prosecuted had been a 'road to Damascus' moment on the issue.

He said it was 'completely wrong' to send people into the courts system without proper and expert legal representation.

The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (Laspo) imposed strict curbs on the availability of public funding for people who need lawyers.

Nigel Evans (pictured arriving at court in 2013) - who voted for the reforms in 2012 - said his own experience of being prosecuted had been a 'road to Damascus' moment on the issue

Mr Evans was cleared at Preston Crown Court of nine sexual offences in April 2014. He quit his job as Commons Deputy Speaker to fight the charges and had to cover most of his own legal costs.

Mr Evans told the Guardian: 'If I had my time again I would stand up and argue against the implementation of Laspo.

'It's wrong, completely wrong, to remove people's right to have expert legal representation, and now I've gone through it I can see that clearly.

'We're definitely talking about justice being denied as a result of Laspo.'

He added: 'My experience of being falsely accused, and losing my life savings to defend myself proving that, was a road to Damascus moment for me.

Another Tory MP, Bob Neill (file) - who chairs the Commons justice committee - has also called for the Laspo reforms to be looked at again

'I'm a changed person now, in terms of Laspo and sympathy for all those who now have to go through the legal system without expert help, support and advice.'

Mr Evans said: 'I'm not just talking about those accused in the criminal courts like me, but everyone affected by Laspo.

'Parents going through the family courts, tenants fighting landlords, patients fighting hospitals and so on. Laspo is clearly not working. It needs to be overhauled.'

He added: 'Laspo financially punishes innocent people for the crime of being wrongly accused.'

At Mr Evans' trial, it took the jury less then six hours to acquit him of the sex offences against seven men.

Following the verdict. Mr Evans clasped his hands and wiped away tears as he heard the verdict and said he'd gone through '11 months of hell'.

Another Tory MP, Bob Neill - who chairs the Commons justice committee - has also called for the Laspo reforms to be looked at again.

He said: 'The evidence is pretty compelling that changes are needed … We cannot expect people who often have multiple problems in their lives necessarily to be able to resolve such things on their own.'