A MOTHER-of-two who made a false rape claim which led to an innocent man being put behind bars has been jailed for six months.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Mark Ward was arrested in front of his family, locked up for four days and banned from returning to his home or family for two months after Nicola Douglas lied to police.

Douglas, 29, had claimed she was attacked in a notorious Nelson subway and told police Mr Ward was responsible.

Mr Ward, then of Ronaldsway, Nelson, was plunged into depression and suffered sleepless nights, the court was told.

He was ostracised and became a victim of violence and name-calling in the town after he was accused of the alleged midnight sex assault and has since moved to Blackburn.

Police launched an intensive and costly investigation into Douglas' claims and she only "came clean," when presented with forensic evidence which put Mr Ward in the clear, the court was told.

Judge Stuart Baker told the defendant the case was "truly very serious," and the public would feel "overwhelming outrage" if she was not jailed.

The judge said he accepted, with some hesitation, that there may have been some sort of attack although there was no evidence.

He added Mr Ward was completely innocent and Douglas had known what she was doing when she accused him.

Mr Ward, he added, had suffered "appalling anxiety" because of her conduct before the case was dropped at Crown Court and could have been sent to jail if she had proceeded with her allegation.

Douglas, of East Croft, Nelson, had earlier admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice. She had no previous convictions.

Nicholas Holt, prosecuting, said last June 14 police received a phone call from the defendant's father saying she had been set upon in a subway.

Officers went to the scene and saw Douglas lying on the ground with a man standing over her. The man ran off, leaving a baseball cap behind.

Douglas told officers she had been attacked and raped and was taken to be examined by a police surgeon. Samples were taken and the defendant said she did not know her assailant's identity.

Douglas had rung a friend from the scene and provided the name Mark.

The defendant was questioned about that information and when later interviewed supplied Mr Ward's full name and details. Philip Holden, defending, said Douglas steadfastly maintained she had been attacked and that what took place was an attempted rape.

He said medical reports stated the defendant was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder when she spoke to police the day after she said she was attacked. It was also the second anniversary of her mother's death. Afterwards she buried her head in the sand and was frightened of the consequences of her actions.