ELECTRICIAN David Hughes says he is being victimised because he shares the same name as a man accused of sexually assaulting a schoolgirl.

Mr Hughes, of Berrington Road, Chipping Campden, has been regularly harassed in the street by people mistaking him for the other David Hughes, a former Campden resident.

Mr Hughes said: "I have felt it in Campden for a long, long time now because people heard what had happened and they all thought it was me."

He said problems began when townspeople first heard about the arrest of a David Hughes and since then he has been spat at, abused and pushed as he went about town.

"My first recollection was in January as I came out of a shop and somebody shouted 'pervert,'" he said. "I thought 'What are they on about? What have I done?' That's when I first noticed things weren't right."

He added: "The worst part was I didn't know what I was supposed to have done. A lot of Campden locals were avoiding me, but if they know it isn't me they'll come round."

Mr Hughes, aged 42, says people have been very apologetic whenever he has had the chance to explain, but fears it may also have affected his business as a self-employed electrician. "I'm not sure whether it was because of this that I wasn't getting much work in, but there are also a lot of electricians."

The stress has affected Mr Hughes's health as a former alcoholic. "I haven't had a drink for six years, but the temptation is there and it has been bad because of all this aggro."

He is leaving Campden soon to live in Spain, where he hopes to make a living buying and renovating property.

Police say they are aware of the confusion and Supt Adrian Grimmitt, divisional commander for the Cotswolds and Stroud, said: "It appears Mr Hughes of Berrington Road, who is not the subject of any police investigation, is being mistakenly identified as the defendant charged with rape.

"This is very distressing for him and we are treating it seriously and will monitor the situation. Mr Hughes is an innocent party, totally unconnected with any alleged sexual offences, and is being wrongly targeted.

"This case illustrates the potential dangers of members of the public taking the law into their own hands and we would not condone this type of behaviour in any situation."

The accused David Hughes, aged 38, formerly of Castle Road, Chipping Campden, gave his address as Henley-in-Arden at his last court appearance. He has denied a charge of raping a girl under the age of 14.