A man accused of sexually abusing three schoolgirls walked free from court but admitted: "My life's ruined."

It took a Winchester Crown Court jury little more than an hour to clear Christopher Mattock (50) of Thurmond Crescent, Winchester.

He was acquitted of seven counts of indecent assault and two of gross indecency with a child.

Two sisters, now aged 13 and 11, and a 14-year-old girl, had alleged that the man had committed the offences between 1996 and 2000.

Mr Mattock, who has four adult children, said: "It's been awful. My life's over and so is my family's. This has ruined us. We've all suffered."

After the not guilty verdict, he was greeted outside the courtroom by sobbing relatives and friends. Mr Mattock, who is single, but who has been married three times, said he had twice been attacked by strangers before the three-day trial because he had been branded a paedophile.

"There's such a stigma attached to it and I will probably have to leave Winchester. But everyone who knows me has stood by me. They knew the truth."

Both his daughters and a stepdaughter had taken the stand to praise his character. A former carpet-fitter on Southampton-based cruise liners, QE2 and Arcadia, he is now unemployed. He said whether he found a job depended on if he was "mentally able" after his ordeal.

Mr Mattock also criticised the police for their handling of the affair: "It's not been conducted properly. It should never have come to this. I thought it would get dropped."

During the trial, the jury was told Mr Mattock had been behind bars for burglary and firearms offences and that he had convictions for handling stolen property and drug offences. But they also heard that he had never been in trouble for anything sexual.

"There's always a chance that people will not believe you, though," said the acquitted man. "I've been inside before and I didn't want to go in as a nonce."

Defending, Peter Henry told the jury: "Mr Mattock is no angel--but it does not mean he is a child abuser. He's not the sort of person who does this.

"These girls were a complete handful. They could behave well and when they were good, they were good.

"But when they were bad, they were terrible."

The girls' families were not in court to hear the verdict and were unavailable for comment.