A man accused of dragging a young woman down an alleyway close to a nightclub and raping her in a secluded courtyard has been acquitted.

A jury saw CCTV footage of Pedro Henrique pulling the woman along in the early hours before going out of sight.

When they emerge 20 minutes later the woman is minus her top and wearing the 29-year-old Brazilian's jacket. She then complained to doormen she had been raped.

Henrique said in evidence: "She had to go all the way after she had been nice to me and let me touch her."

But a jury of seven men and five women returned a not guilty verdict after deliberating for almost seven hours.

The woman went out in Maidstone with a friend in October last year. She was wearing a blouse, short skirt with a zip up the front and high heels.

Prosecutor David Povall told Maidstone Crown Court they had drinks at two bars. While smoking outside the second, they were approached by Henrique and a friend.

"She had to go all the way after she had been nice to me and let me touch her" - Henrique

They continued to drink. After about an hour he kissed her and she reciprocated. He later kissed her again but she was then reluctant.

The woman separated from her friend and Henrique pulled her by the wrist past the Source Bar in Rose Yard and into the courtyard.

"She was frightened but trying to convince herself that the worst couldn't happen," said Mr Povall.

He tried to kiss her again. She pulled away and stumbled and fell to the ground. She shouted rape but he jumped on top of her and put his hand around her throat, it was alleged.

Mr Povall said Henrique unzipped the woman's skirt and sexually assaulted her before raping her among the rubbish.

He put his hand around her throat again, he said, and she feared she would be killed. Afterwards, he apologised saying he had a problem, it was alleged.

Her top was soaked and filthy, so it was taken off and he gave her his jacket. He walked her back to the Source Bar. He left and she made the complaint.

Henrique, who lives in Paris, denied rape, claiming the woman consented to sex.

The prosecutor had told jurors: "The issue in this case is not whether she was entirely sensible. Once upon a time people might have said: 'Look at her - short skirt, high heels, drunk, flirting and kissing with a man she just met – asking for it, isn't she?'

"I hope you can all agree thankfully the days of regarding her in that way are over. Being dressed up to look attractive is not an invitation for sex.

"Being under the influence of drink doesn't make you fair game. Consent to a kiss in a club is not consent to full intercourse in rubbish in an alleyway."