A MAN walked free from court with his clean record intact after being cleared of an alleged indecent attack on a girl.

Mark John Robert Jackson, 20, was arrested nine days after an incident in which a seven-year-old girl was followed along an alleyway and approached by a young man, who asked to see her underwear.

Durham Crown Court was told the terrified girl managed to break free, but as she fled the scene her assailant shouted threats.

An e-fit sketch of the suspect was produced by a police artist based on a description given by the girl.

It was circulated through the local media following the incident in Barnard Castle, County Durham, on June 12.

Following his arrest on June 21, Mr Jackson denied responsibility for the attack, and, after he was picked from ten men on a video identity parade by the victim, continued to protest his innocence.

Mr Jackson, formerly of Green Lane, Barnard Castle, but living recently at a bail address in Darlington, denied indecent assault at his trial this week.

He maintained that none of the others on the parade bore any resemblance to him.

Mr Jackson said he worked at a florist shop in Barnard Castle and would have been on his lunch hour around the time of the attack.

But he denied having seen the girl or having carried out any attack, saying he spent much of the lunch break talking to a friend on his mobile phone.

In his closing address in the case, Mr Jackson's barrister, Peter Makepeace, urged the jury: "Don't base your verdict on speculation, guesswork, rumour or innuendo. There's been a bit of that in this case."

Mr Makepeace said the entire case against his client was based on identification evidence of the victim, now aged eight.

He said conflicts in the evidence should set alarm bells ringing.

Yesterday, on the third day of the trial, the jury returned a unanimous not guilty verdict.

Afterwards, Judge Richard Lowden told the jury: "If I were among you I would not have been dissenting."

Discharging Mr Jackson, the judge made a defence costs' order in his favour