A FATHER has told how his life was turned upside down by sex allegations made against him by two 15-year-old girls.

Darren Disson, 45, of Hermitage Street, Rishton, said he had lost his home, his partner and his son and had been forced to live in a Birmingham bail hostel full of "paedophiles and heroin addicts".

And he said that while he had endured nine months of torment and misery it had taken a jury at Preston Crown Court just 35 minutes to find him not guilty.

"It seems wrong that I have had to go through hell because of these wild allegations," said Mr Disson. "I have lost everything and I am left with virtually just the clothes I stand in. I don't know the answer but surely this can't be justice."

Mr Disson told how at the time he was charged he was living in his own home in Blackburn with his partner and their nine-year-old son. He was working as a machine operator and owned his own car.

He was charged in February with allowing two girls to watch pornographic material and asking them to engage in sexual activity. He was acquitted of all four charges and costs were awarded to the defence.

He said that after the allegations were made his partner would have nothing to do with him. He was granted bail on condition that he lived at the hostel in Birmingham.

"Overnight my whole life changed," said Mr Disson. "I was forced to live in a hostel full of child molesters and drug addicts, I have had no contact with my son for nine months and I have come back to East Lancashire with absolutely nothing.

"I am going to have to rebuild my life from scratch, looking for work, finding my own place to live and everything else that I took for granted before this happened," he said. "I am very grateful to Farleys Solicitors who have represented me. At times they seemed like the only friends I had through this nightmare."

Mr Disson said he thought it was wrong that a man's life could be ruined by "dodgy" allegations.

"I am no angel, I have been in trouble with the law in the past but not for any kind of sex offences," said Mr Disson. "They say you are innocent until proven guilty but it seemed the opposite for me.

"Now I have been proved innocent the system just doesn't want to know and I am left to pick up the pieces," he added.

A police spokesperson said: "Before Mr Disson was charged all the available evidence would have been presented to the Crown Prosecution Service.

"Obviously the decision was made to charge Mr Disson following a review of the evidence presented at the time."