A SENIOR prosecutor said Eleanor Williams' case was 'extremely rare'.

Wendy Lloyd, Senior Crown Prosecutor with CPS North West’s rape and serious sexual offence unit, said: “This is an extremely rare case; I have certainly seen nothing like it in my 20 years of prosecuting.

“Each of Eleanor Williams’s accusations were thoroughly investigated, until it became clear they were completely untrue and made with malevolent intent.

“These men were falsely accused of the most serious sexual abuse and exploitation and in the face of overwhelming evidence it was right for us to bring a prosecution."

She reassured victims of sexual assaults to not be afraid to report crimes.

“I’d like to reassure victims of rape and serious sexual assault that we take allegations of sexual offending extremely seriously," she said.

"There is a high bar to be met for us to prosecute a case of perverting the course of justice.

“A prosecution will only be brought in circumstances where there is clear evidence that allegations were provably false, maliciously made and that it is the public interest to do so, considering factors like mental health and vulnerability as part of that decision-making.

“I hope now Williams has been brought to justice for her actions, the men she falsely accused can begin to move on with their lives.”