A FORMER parliamentary candidate has demanded an apology from police after he was cleared of attacking his lodger.

Milkman Paul Wright, 48, was found not guilty of assault causing actual bodily harm, after the prosecution offered no evidence at Burnley Crown Court. He had denied the charge.

Wright had been called back to court after a trial last week, when the jury had been unable to reach a verdict after several hours of deliberations.

He was discharged from the dock by Judge Raymond Bennett, after the Crown announced it was not seeking a retrial.

The defendant, of All Saints Close, Padiham, was Liberal Democrat candidate in the General Election of June 2001 and at the time of the alleged offence last October was chairman of the party in the town.

He said he was considering suing Lancashire Police for wrongful arrest and said he wanted a full inquiry into how it had handled the investigation.

Mr Wright, a divorced father of one, said he was also looking forward to getting his political career back on track and that he hoped to stand as a Liberal Democrat candidate in the next General Election.

He said: "This is like a building being lifted off my back. The last nine months have been an absolute nightmare and I feel like I am waking up.

"I would like an apology from the police and an inquiry into how they handled the case. I feel that if they had done things properly this case would never have come this far.

"I can't understand how I ended up in court accused of assault when I didn't do anything. It is scandalous.

"I want to take a few days to consider what to do but I am certainly going to take advice on whether I have a case against the police.

"As for the future, I want to get back into politics and I would like to stand as a Liberal Democrat again if the party will have me."

During the case ,the jury heard claims Wright was said to have left complainant Joseph Madden injured, after lunging towards him and trying to punch him during a heated row.

Lancashire Police were today unavailable for comment.