Three 18-year-olds have been cleared of raping a 12-year-old girl in Feltham last April.

Paul Cooper, Michael Hills and Erkut Ahmet, from Bermondsey, were cleared by the jury of rape, indecent assault and imprisoning the girl, when they appeared before the Old Bailey on Tuesday, March 18.

The teenagers had been accused of seeing the girl walking down Feltham High Street, drinking from a bottle of Jack Daniels, and then giving her a fireman's lift', from the High Street to behind the Baker's Oven shop, where they took it in turns to rape her.

Hills said, in evidence, that he had befriended the girl when he saw her drinking the whiskey.

He admitted that he had carried her behind the shop, for privacy', and that they had been joined there by the other two boys.

His co-defendants then claimed that she had willingly' performed a sex act and had intercourse with them.

Evidence presented to the court showed that the girl's bra and jacket were found to have traces of DNA not belonging to the gang.

The girl had denied having intercourse with anyone else before the incident, and said that the jacket had belonged to a friend.

A fourth member of the gang, John Kavanagh, 19, also from Bermondsey, had been cleared earlier during the trial.

All four teens had consistently denied the charges.

Commenting after the trial, Detective Inspector Sean Szerezla said he was saddened by the outcome.

I am disappointed, particularly for the victim, who had to go through a harrowing ordeal and gave evidence in court.''