A Doctor Who fan, who campaigned for a full size replica of the Tardis to be built on a Kent seafront, has been acquitted of a sex offence.

Theatrical prop-maker Jason Onion had been accused of performing a sex act on a stranger at a party in Wincheap November last year.

But a jury at Canterbury Crown Court found him not guilty of sexual assault after a three-day trial.

Onion, 35, of Mickleburgh Hill, Herne Bay – who denied the offence – claimed the sex encounter was consensual.

Prosecutor Paul Valder said that the alleged victim had been a “complete stranger” to Mr Onion when they met at the party.

The man, who had been drinking, went to bed to sleep off the effects of the alcohol and claimed he woke up with Mr Onion next to him.

The prosecutor said he had travelled from London to Canterbury with a friend for a party, arriving at 10.30 pm where there were 15 other guests.

He claimed that during the evening Mr Onion asked another partygoer how big his penis was – “a comment which was laughed off, “ said Mr Valder.

The jury heard that one of the men felt drunk and had gone “fully clothed” to bed in a ground floor bedroom.

Onion wanted to put a Tardis replica on Herne Bay seafront

After the incident the man took a photograph of Mr Onion, who was alleged to have given a false name as the police were called.

Mr Onion went to a police station and told officers that “as the party was winding down, I looked for a place to sleep and went to a spare bedroom.”

He told police he was bi-sexual and had found the other man underneath the covers and after some sex play, Mr Onion said the man told him “it would be so much better if there was a girl here”.

The prop maker made headlines last year after revealing he wanted to build the nine foot tall Dr Who prop on Herne Bay seafront – and won support for his plan from local councillors.

He said the Tardis was a good excuse to get “coach loads of people down to Herne Bay”.