COUSINS Nicky Tarrant and Scott Gove are rebuilding their lives with their fiancees after charges of rape against them were dropped.

They say the charges meant they were separated from their loved ones after being hounded out of the town like criminals.

For the past 11 months, Mr Tarrant, 27, of Ruskin Avenue, and Mr Gove, 23, of Cowleaze Walk, Upper Stratton, stood accused of raping and causing grievous bodily harm to a woman whom they claim cannot even recognise them.

Charges against Mr Tarrant's brother, Barry, 29, of Ruskin Avenue, of causing grievous bodily harm were also dropped.

The men were freed by Swindon Crown Court when the prosecution offered no evidence after the woman made a statement to police withdrawing the allegations.

All three men had pleaded not guilty and were due to face a trial by jury. They first appeared in court in January after the woman made a complaint to the police that she was attacked. Although the alleged victim claimed she told the truth in her original statements, barristers for the defendants told the court that the allegations against their clients were false.

Judge Charles Wade passed formal not guilty verdicts and ordered their out of pocket expenses be paid.

The series of court appearances, being kept apart from their families and also ordered out of the county, began for the men outside a Swindon snooker club on January 18.

Barry Tarrant had two reasons to celebrate it was his birthday, and he had also found a new home with Sarah Batten, 26, his partner of 10 years.

He went to play pool at the club with Nicky, Scott and his brother-in-law Michael Baker, 32.

Barry said: "We just popped out for a quiet drink and it ended up nearly ruining our lives." The men say after they left the club they broke up a fight outside involving a woman.

They went home but were awoken in their homes at 4 am by the police.

Nicky said: "I was naked in bed when they barged in and arrested me for rape. Talk about your worst nightmare, I was petrified."

His mother Christine was left to tell his fiancee of eight years, Hayley Coppard, 23. Barry and Scott were also arrested at their homes.

Two days after their arrest the three men appeared before Swindon magistrates and were released on bail, providing they left the county until their next court appearance and did not see each other for three months.

Scott's fiance Christine Jones, who was five months pregnant when the men first appeared in court, she now has a six month old son , said: "We felt like criminals being hounded out of town. Family handed us money outside court because we had to just go. We went to Inverness in Scotland and stayed with Scott's brother until we were allowed back home. I felt sick with shock, on top of the morning sickness."

Hayley said: "It was an absolute travesty of justice. Our living nightmare dragged on for months, even though there was no evidence against them. The case kept being delayed and we had to face people whispering about us."

After nearly 11 months of waiting the charges were finally dropped.

Alvina Kumar, spokeswoman for Swindon Police, said: "Owing to the victim's personal circumstances, which I cannot divulge, she was unable to proceed with giving evidence at court.

The Crown Prosecution Service, having taken into consideration her compelling reasons, accepted the victim's decision not to proceed. On November 17 the Crown offered no evidence and formal not guilty verdicts were entered."

vtagg@newswilts.co.uk