A SECURITY guard cleared of attacking a drinker in a pub brawl today spoke of the 12 month-battle to clear his name.

Adrian-John Robinson, 35, of Hyndburn Road, Accrington, said he lost thousands of pounds after being forced to put on hold his business, providing protection for executives around the world.

The former paratrooper was arrested last August and charged with attacking a drinker at a Blackburn pub the previous May, 2000. He was acquitted after a two-day trial at Burnley Crown Court last week.

The alleged victim, who had been at the pub with family and friends, was said to have been struck several times with a bottle.

Mr Robinson told the court he had been in the pub, but successfully argued he had not used any violence against the man and had not been thrown out.

Businessmen in places as far apart as Sweden, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Saudi Arabia, France, Algiers and even Kazakstan as well as in the UK have used the services of Mr Robinson, who runs AJ Associates.

The executives come from a range of businesses including the car trade, building and steel industries. He said: "Sometimes I have accompanied businessmen to creditors' meetings and when you are talking about about a quarter of a million pounds,the man who is owed money can get quite aggressive.

"But I haven't witnessed any violence in my 10 years in the job, thank goodness."

But Mr Robinson, a black belt in Judo, almost went to pieces when his barrister told him he faced three years in prison for a crime the court decided he did not commit.

And the pressure got even heavier, when he calculated he had forfeited £15,000 in lost business.

But with the support of his 24-year-old wife Linda, who gave birth to their first child Benjamin 19 months ago, Mr Robinson managed to pull through.

He said: "It's been 12 months of hell. I haven't been able to work because I was kept busy with the police investigation.

"I've lost a lot of money because the work is seasonal and once you turn away business, it's hard to get it back."

"I've been offered a five-year contract to protect an executive from the building industry in Kazakstan, but I probably will not do it because I have a wife and child to look after.

"But I'm determined to try and restore my business to its former professionalism.

Police today said they did not want to comment on the case.