Evidence 'proves Hamiltons innocent'

Neil and Christine Hamilton outside their Cheshire home on Monday

Neil and Christine Hamilton's solicitor says evidence proving the couple were not involved in an alleged sex assault has been presented to police.

Michael Coleman said the material showed the couple could not have been in Ilford, Essex, where the alleged rape is said to have taken place, on the day of the attack.

A 28-year-old college lecturer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claims the couple performed indecent acts on her at an Ilford flat, on 5 May, while a 60-year-old man raped her.

Mr Hamilton earlier told reporters that he and his wife were "totally innocent of these preposterous allegations" and said they had not "excluded" taking legal action over the matter.

Unless they were helicoptered out it seems impossible for them to have actually taken part

Michael Coleman
Hamiltons' solicitor

Mr Coleman told Sky News the evidence included details of the Hamiltons' telephone and credit card use on 5 May.

"We have disclosed to police the use of their mobile phone at various times during the day and invited the police to get on to the telephone companies and show where that phone physically was."

Credit card details showed the couple had also shopped in Waitrose, Marks and Spencer, and Snappy Snaps on the day, he said.

"I'll be getting in touch with those stores asking for confirmation of the time of the use of those cards and disclosure of their CCTV.

"So unless they were helicoptered out it seems impossible for them to have actually taken part in this incident."

'Scandal'

Mr Hamilton, who along with his wife was questioned for five hours by police over the alleged assault, earlier told reporters he had spent Monday morning assembling documentary evidence "categorically to disprove these allegations".

"It's a scandal that police have allowed this to go so far before giving us the opportunity to blow the whole thing out of the water and reveal it for the nonsense that it is," he said.

The couple's appearance outside their Cheshire home on Monday lunchtime followed reports that they were considering suing Scotland Yard over their arrest.

It was also reported that they may bring a case for wrongful imprisonment after their questioning.

The pair have repeatedly and strongly denied the allegations, describing them as a "complete tissue of lies and fabrications".

The Daily Mail on Monday quoted Mr Coleman as saying that his clients may now be seeking damages from Scotland Yard.

'Stolen' computers

Scotland Yard has declined to comment, with a spokeswoman saying it "would be inappropriate to discuss any details during an ongoing investigation".

The couple once again posed for pictures outside their £1.25m house at Nether Alderley, Cheshire.

The couple also posed for the massed photographers in London

They had returned to the house on Sunday evening, after spending the weekend in their flat in Battersea, London.

Police have taken away the couple's computers as part of their investigation into the allegations.

The allegations originally surfaced on Friday after the couple were released on police bail following five hours of questioning.

Publicist Max Clifford confirmed on Saturday that the woman told him of the allegations, before going to the police.

Legal changes sought

Labour peer Lord Corbett is calling for the reintroduction of legislation granting anonymity to people accused of rape unless they are found guilty of the offence.

He was a home affairs spokesman responsible for overseeing law in 1976 that made it an offence to name either the rape victim or the alleged perpetrator of the crime.

The clause guarding the anonymity of those accused of rape was overturned in the mid-1980s.