A man accused of sexually abusing a young girl over a four-year period has been cleared of all the allegations against him.

It took a jury at Bradford Crown Court less than two hours to find Barry Rowen not guilty of two charges of rape, two of indecent assault, two of sexual assault and two alternative charges of attempted rape.

During the trial, which began on Monday, the prosecution had claimed that 39-year-old Rowen first groped the girl when she was around 10 years old.

It was alleged that he then went on to rape her on several occasions between 2003 and 2004.

But Rowen, of South Street, Keighley, told the court he had never indecently touched the girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

During police interviews, he was asked by officers if he found her attractive and replied: "Not really but she's a good-looking lass.

"I would call her a zombie because she walks like one and talks like one," he added.

He said he "absolutely did not know" why she would make up the allegations.

Sophie Drake, prosecuting, had alleged that the defendant put his hand in the girl's groin area under her clothes but Rowen denied that he ever acted inappropriately.

It was claimed he first raped the girl in 2003 and then raped her another three or four times.

In February last year the girl wrote a note to her mother saying that Rowen had touched her and police were alerted.