A RAPE retrial has been abandoned after the 18-year-old alleged victim was left "traumatised" by the original hearing.

Now, two men who were charged with the offence have been cleared. On Wednesday at Bolton Crown Court, the prosecution stated they were "offering no evidence" against them.

Jason Power (25), of Cross Lane, Radcliffe, and 31-year-old Lawrence Francis of Bell Lane, Bury, both pleaded not guilty to the rape charge at a hearing in Bolton last month.

A co-accused Dennis Proudfoot (21), who lived in St John's Court, Radcliffe, committed suicide days after being charged with the same offence in December.

Later, his family received a letter from the alleged victim claiming Mr Proudfoot had been innocent.

At last month's trial John Price, QC, prosecuting, stated both men had told police what happened during an encounter with the girl in a Bury car park was with her consent.

The original hearing ended after three days last month when it was discovered a doctor whom the defence wished to question was uncontactable on holiday in Portugal. A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said: "We are under a continuous duty to review each case. It has been decided that it's no longer in the public interest to proceed with the case.

"That decision was reached having regard to the wishes the complainant expressed in a further witness statement to the police."

He added: "I can confirm that she has been traumatised as a result of giving evidence in the first trial and is not in good health.

"The further statement in no way relates to the evidence she has given. No proceedings will be commenced for wasting police time because there is no evidence to support that offence."

Despite this week's development Mr Proudfoot's father, also called Dennis, pledged to continue to fight to fully clear his son's name.

Mr Proudfoot said he was angry "things had got to this stage" and claimed the scrapping of the case "lets the police off the hook."

He went on: "As far as these two other lads are concerned, what has happened now hasn't actually totally cleared them.

"They haven't been cleared in a court of law as far as I'm concerned. A lot of people will still think they're guilty."

He also felt his son had not been vindicated by this week's decision.

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