A MAN who posed as a police officer to get free sex from prostitutes was on the run last night.

Red light district regular Michael Walton vanished before a jury found him guilty of one sex charge and cleared him of another.

The 40-year-old, from High Coniscliffe, near Darlington, left a message with a neighbour saying he could not face hearing the verdicts. The judge issued a warrant for his arrest and fixed another court hearing.

The Teesside Crown Court jury found him not guilty of raping an 18-year-old prostitute on July 24 but guilty of indecently assaulting another aged 34. He had denied the charges.

The jury was told he pleaded guilty to procuring the elder woman to have sex by false pretences last year by telling her that he was a policeman and could keep the vice squad away from her.

But he was missing from the court dock yesterday.

Walton left a letter with a neighbour saying: "I need you to do me a favour.

"I am not going to court today, I need you to pass this letter to my barrister, Jamie Hill, thanking him and my solicitors, Brown Beer and Company, indicating that the past 13 months have taken such a toll upon me that I could not be in court to hear the verdicts.

"But I will be in touch within 48 hours and whatever the verdicts I will hand myself in."

Walton lived alone in The Green, High Coniscliffe. His former partner was believed to live in France.

He roamed the red light district of Middlesbrough dressed like a policeman in shiny black boots, a clip-on tie, a belt with a pouch for handcuffs, a dark ribbed sweater with epaulettes, black trousers and a blue fleece.

Walton was caught out when he was stopped, with a prostitute, by genuine officers, the court had heard earlier.

Police were questioning him when the woman told them: "You'll know him - he's one of your colleagues."