Lorry driver Mark Florey has told of his “living nightmare” after being wrongly accused of rape.

The 55-year-old was cleared after an 18-month ordeal when the prosecution dropped all charges against him at Maidstone Crown Court.

But the case has had a huge impact on his life and led to him suffering physical and verbal abuse.

He said: “I’ve been spat at, lost my job, been threatened, called a rapist and ignored by neighbours.”

Now he has called for a change in the law which allows men accused of rape to be named while guaranteeing the anonymity of the accuser.

“It’s ridiculous,” he said.

“I don’t think anyone should be named in sensitive cases like this until after the verdict.”

The father-of-three had denied four charges of raping a woman between July 2013 and August 2015 and was due to stand trial on April 18.

But the prosecution offered no evidence and not guilty verdicts were entered.

“I’ve been spat at, lost my job, been threatened, called a rapist and ignored by neighbours” - Mark Florey

Mr Florey’s hell began with a knock on the door of his Upchurch home at 8am one Sunday in the summer of 2015.

He recalled: “It came straight out of the blue. The next thing I knew there were four police officers on my doorstep who said I was being arrested for rape.

"I hadn’t even touched the woman.

“As word got around I was spat at and lost a very good job as a mechanical fitter when I was told not to bother going back again.

“Neighbours looked the other way and I received calls swearing at me and threatening to beat me up.

"It’s been a living nightmare, especially knowing I didn’t do anything. But some people always believe there isn’t smoke without fire.

“I fear some might try to take the law into their own hands.”

On top of that, he says fighting the case, even on legal aid, has cost him £6,000 in lawyers’ fees.

He said: “It seems particularly unfair that I am out of pocket and have been persecuted yet she retains her anonymity and just walks away.

"Yet I have been thinking about this every day and night.

"I could have ended up behind bars. It’s frightening what could have happened.”