A photographer claimed today that his life has been made a living hell because of a five-year hate campaign.

The trouble started when Ralph Lowe's neighbours in Bingley were all sent letters in 1997 warning them he was a "practising paedophile".

Mr Lowe, 44, claims he is still suffering verbal abuse and death threats years later.

He says his livelihood has been badly affected and he worries that his life will become unbearable in the light of the recent murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

The letters claimed to be from an organisation called the Council for the Protection of Children. Neither the child protection charity NSPCC nor the West Yorkshire Police have heard of the organisation.

Mr Lowe said: "The organisation does not exist. Notes were sent to people living in all the streets close to me with my full name and address saying I was a paedophile.

"Everybody began giving me funny looks. A man said to me that someone would kill me one day, but I did not know what he was talking about. Then I saw these letters."

At the time, Mr Lowe took the notes to the police in Bingley.

They read: "Residents in the vicinity of York Street, Bingley, should be aware that Ralph Lowe is a practising paedophile and poses a serious threat to any child in the Bingley area.

"We strongly advise parents to keep their children away from this area and to inform other parents of this man's presence."

He changed his phone number after receiving nuisance calls and had two bricks and some eggs hurled at his window.

The freelance photographer said: "I am still getting disgusted looks, even after all this time. I get death threats from people. They say things like: 'You have had it, mate'.

"It just goes on and on. One day something really bad will happen to me.

"I just want to clear the air and get this rubbish out of the way. I was framed. I am not a paedophile.

"I have had really bad feedback since the search for Holly and Jessica began. People have told me to watch my back. It is frightening."