MORE than a year on from being cleared of rape, father of two Luke Entwistle is still struggling to recover.

The 29-year-old suffers from anxiety, depression and alopecia — meaning he has lost all his hair — and still has nightmares about the ordeal.

Mr Entwistle spent five months in prison prior to his trial — but a judge then ordered a jury to find him not guilty of the alleged attack in the grounds of Bolton Parish Church.

He now wants justice for the time he lost and stress he endured.

He also echoed calls of cleared child rape suspect Jonathon Brown for those accused of sex crimes to remain anonymous until conviction.

Mr Entwistle always admitted having sex with the woman, who cannot be named, despite being married at the time.

He also admitted in court to stealing her handbag and mobile phone.

But he says he was handed the phone by the woman and then took it home by mistake — which left him with no option but to plead guilty.

However, he always maintained that the woman consented to the encounter — and was stunned the next day when police arrived at his home to arrest him.

Mr Entwistle said: "I just knew I was innocent and that I had not done anything wrong.

"I had an anxiety attack in the police station when I was arrested.

"I was then remanded to Forest Bank. Every time I saw my solicitor I asked if they could look at my bail but it was never granted.

"I hated being in prison, the atmosphere, the bullying, everything.

"My name was dragged through the mud in the papers, because I was charged, and that really upset my mum and dad.

"One time they had a brick going through the window. They were scared and I could do nothing.

"My life was on hold. I regret everything that happened and would not do any of it again if I could wind the clock back. But I had not raped anybody."

Mr Entwistle's hair started to fall out while he was on remand and a doctor diagnosed him with alopecia.

All the while, a panicking Mr Entwistle, who grew up in Breightmet, knew that he would lose access to his sons, aged five and nine, if he was convicted.

He says he struggled to find work, even though he was acquitted of the rape, and now does part-time bar work.

He takes anti-depressants and struggles to sleep at night.

Mr Entwistle added: "People that know me well and believe in me know I could never do anything like this.

"But there is still a minority of people in Farnworth who think I have done it.

"When I went to enter a plea in the magistrates' court my body had seized up because the cell I had been in was that cold.

"All the way through I was made to feel horrendous. They asked me and my wife about our sex life. I was treated poorly."

Mr Entwistle said he and his wife, who asked not to be named, had fallen out at the time of the churchyard incident, but their marriage has survived.

His wife said: "He still wakes up in the night now, having nightmares.

"He thinks somebody is coming for him even though he has done nothing wrong.

"It has torn him apart. He is not the same person that he was before.

"He used to be outgoing and always laughing.

"We are very angry about what has happened."

Jonathon Brown was cleared of raping a young girl at Bolton Crown Court last week.

He has called for anonymity for people accused of sex crimes until they are convicted.

Mr Entwistle added: "I know the lad and was reading the story and saw all the comments. It is absolutely disgusting what happened to him.

"The law definitely needs changing."

The Crown Prosecution Service declined to comment because of the amount of time that has passed since Mr Entwistle's acquittal.

Greater Manchester Police said they would not comment on the investigation because Mr Entwistle had not lodged a formal complaint.