A MAN accused of raping a woman in a tunnel by the River Croal has told the jury that she consented to sex.

Giving evidence in his own defence at Bolton Crown Court 20-year-old Max Waring told a jury that he and the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had met up on March 4 2017 to try and resolve an argument and walked to Church Bank where they talked.

Waring, who denies two counts of raping the woman and one of controlling or coercive behaviour, admitted that he hit the woman, kneed her and pushed her against railings, causing her actual bodily harm.

But he claims that tempers then calmed down.

"The more we talked the more the mood started to pick up," said Waring, who added that she then agreed to go with him into the tunnel by the river where she instigated a sex act on him and they had consensual intercourse.

Asked by Mark Monaghan, defending, whether he had forced himself on the woman, who had had a miscarriage just days earlier, he replied: "No sir — not a chance."

Waring, of Newby Road, Breightmet, said that afterwards they kissed and walked out of the tunnel into Bolton town centre.

Waring's defence claims that the woman had a row with him, threats were made and she made the rape allegations out of revenge. The trial continues.