POLICE are taking no further action against an aid worker accused of sexual assault and the possession of indecent images.

The case against Kasim Jameel, who accompanied murdered aid worker Alan Henning to Syria, was dropped by police last week.

Mr Jameel said the ordeal had been horrendous and hoped the false allegations would not stop real victims coming forward.

The Farnworth aid worker was arrested in July on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old girl and possessing an indecent image of a child — but was never charged with the offences.

He said: "I am very thankful that the false allegations against me have been proven exactly what they were — a lie.

"I would like to thank my family and friends who stood by me through this horrendous ordeal and pray that false allegations like these do not deter real victims coming forward to receive the real justice they deserve."

A police spokesman said: "In July, a 33-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman and the possession of an indecent image of a child.

"A decision to take no further action against that person has now been made."

Mr Jameel has been leading aid convoys to Syria since 2012 and embarked on a 4,000-mile journey to the war-torn country in December last year in a convoy of 20 vehicles with Mr Henning.

The convoy transported life-saving medical equipment to a hospital in Idlib, in north-western Syria, including items such as defibrillators, stethoscopes and oxygen concentrate.

Mr Henning was captured by Islamic State (IS) militants just half an hour after entering the war-torn country on Boxing Day last year.

In September, a video depicting the beheading of British aid worker David Haines was released, featuring taxi driver Mr Henning at the end.

On October 3, IS released the video showing the execution of Mr Henning.

A memorial service for the 47-year-old was held in Eccles in November.