A MAN accused of trying to abduct two young girls from a park has been cleared by a jury.

Andrew Davenport, aged 32, had been on trial at Bolton Crown Court facing two charges of child abduction.

But yesterday he walked free from court when the jury returned two verdicts of not guilty.

They were directed by the judge following a decision by the prosecution not to offer any evidence.

The court had heard that the sisters had claimed that Davenport wanted them to go to the shop for a lolly but when they refused he slung the youngest girl over his shoulder.

The girls' grandmother saw what was going on and intervened taking the two girls to her house.

Davenport later told police that in hindsight his actions had been ill-considered but it had all been a misunderstanding and that he had not intended any criminal act.

He had asked them if they wanted a lollipop and one of the girls had agreed but claimed that the other had started swearing at him.

He had put the girl over his shoulder because he did not want to take one to the shop leaving the other behind and he knew she would follow.

The sisters, aged 11 and eight years at the time, had been left to play in a small park in Moses Gate in Farnworth, by their father.