ONE of two men said to have gone on a racially motivated vandalism spree within days of the September 11 World Trade Centre atrocities, has been cleared.

Rowan Gane, 30, was found not guilty of three counts of damage by a jury at Burnley Crown Court on the direction of Judge Raymond Bennett.

Gane admitted he was there, but said Paul Greenwood had got drunk and was responsible for the damage.

The defendant, of Lower Rook Street, Barnoldswick, denied the allegations and was discharged from the dock.

John Marsh, prosecuting, told the jury last September 16 a car owned by an Asian on Fountain Street, Barnoldswick, was found covered in terracotta paint.

Police found splashes of paint on the pavement and followed them to Lower Rook Street where racist graffiti had been spread on the windows of Asian's home. A short distance away, another man found his front door and windows and been daubed with the words "get out" in white.

At a house on Lower Rook Street, officers discovered half a tin of terracotta emulsion, Nazi literature, tights made into a balaclava and a towel with some paint on it. They spoke to the occupants and that led them to a property in South Street.

Mr Mars said they found the defendant and Greenwood there. Greenwood, of South Street, admitted the three offences. Gane was arrested and told police Greenwood had been talking about how many Asians lived in the area.

He said Greenwood threw paint over the car and sprayed a house with an aerosol, saying he had gone along to try and stop him. Both had been to the first house when they realised police would be coming and then to Greenwood's house. Gane said he had been near Greenwood when he had been throwing paint and he had got paint splashed on him.

Mr Marsh said Gane told police he had had nothing to do with any of the damage, but the prosecution had alleged that was "tosh" as Gane had the local knowledge of where the Asian victims lived and he was "in it up to his eyeballs".

After opening the case, Mr Marsh offered no evidence after seeing the clothing Gane was wearing on the night of the alleged offences. He said there was no trace of white paint on the clothing whatsoever and the only evidence was that the clothing was splashed with paint.

Greenwood has been committed for sentence by the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Magistrates and was bailed for a month.