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A British man arrested for the alleged violent rape of a young English backpacker walked free from a Cambodian court today after prosecutors were shown 'overwhelming evidence' of his innocence.

Nick Laycock, from Slough, spent two days locked in a grim prison cell in the Cambodian town of Kampot after he was arrested at a guest house where he has been working for the past six months.

The 25-year-old was held based on statements from the woman he was said to have raped and two young female witnesses.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline after his release, Mr Laycock said: 'I'm greatly relieved – I said all along that I was innocent.'

I said all along I was innocent': Nick Laycock (pictured after his arrest) has been cleared of raping an English backpacker in Camobodia after prosecutors were shown 'overwhelming evidence' of his innocence

Mr Laycock was arrested after the 22-year-old British backpacker he was accused of raping went to a local hospital in Kampot with two friends where they told doctors that they 'believed' the young woman had been raped.

This was because she had been seen walking towards the nearby river during the evening with Mr Laycock – but when she returned to the bar later she had a serious injury to her wrist as well as back injuries.

Two women she had been drinking with asked her what had happened and from what she told them they believed she had been raped – and attacked so violently that she had sustained injuries.

After all three women made statements to the police, Mr Laycock was arrested on Sunday.

But then the owner of the Arcadia guest house, Mr Joel Miles, alarmed that a guest had allegedly been raped by a staff member, carried out his own inquiries.

The woman was at a party at the Arcadia guesthouse complex (pictured) in Kampot before she was attacked

His first step was to study CCTV footage – and, he told the Mail today, there was no evidence of the young woman being raped.

'They were seen walking along hand in hand and although they did have sex it was consensual,' said Mr Miles.

According to Mr Miles, the 'victim' had been drinking and after having consensual sex beside the river with Mr Laycock, she fell as she was walking behind him on their way back to the bar.

'That was when she sustained her injuries,' he said.

Dazed from her fall and confused about what had actually happened, it is understood the young woman tried to withdraw her statement in which she said she had been raped. 

But the police declined to allow her to recant it. 

The Arcadia guesthouse complex is located 7km from Kampot town (pictured) in southern Cambodia

When he arrived at the Kampot court today, Mr Laycock was told that after prosecutors had studied all the evidence, including CCTV footage, they had decided not to press charges.

If the case had proceeded and he had been found guilty of rape, he would have faced many years in a rat-infested prison.

A relieved Mr Laycock was allowed to return to the Arcadia lodge where other tourists congratulated him on his freedom.

'It was a traumatic experience,' he told them. 'I didn't know what was going to happen to me. A small misunderstanding and it resulted in me going to jail. Two days was bad enough.'

Now staff at the Arcadia have promised him they will work hard at restoring his reputation as a 'good straight up guy.'

Mr Miles told MailOnline that he was furious with the British Embassy who he claimed had offered no support to either the young woman or Mr Laycock.

'They have said they were offering assistance, but Nick didn't see any,' said Mr Miles.

Mail.com