A care worker's career was destroyed by "fanciful" sex abuse allegations by a boy who "could not stop lying", top judges have been told.

In a unique test case, John Pinnington is challenging the refusal of Thames Valley Police to erase the allegations from his "enhanced criminal record certificate", which is disclosed to prospective employers.

Mr Pinnington, who switched from a successful career as a technical illustrator to work with vulnerable young adults, was dismissed from the children's charity for which he worked when his employers found out about the accusations, London's High Court was told.

He is seeking a judicial review of the force's decision to retain the information - relating to three males - on his record, despite his solicitors' repeated requests to expunge it.

Speaking outside the court, Mr Pinnington, of College Farm, Wallingford, said the certificate produced by the Criminal Records Bureau was "based on lies" - but had cost him "my life and my livelihood".

He said he had been jobless for the past three years as a result and was fighting his case in court to clear his name and salvage his career.

Mr Pinnington's QC, Tanya Griffiths, said his accuser - a young man with autism - had levelled inconsistent and unfounded allegations against him, which were ultimately retracted.

Initially, the young man had accused a completely different care worker, and later complained of sex abuse by members of his own family and his support worker, before finally naming Mr Pinnington, the barrister said.

Miss Griffiths told Lord Justice Richards and Mr Justice Keith that Mr Pinnington's accuser was prone to making false claims, adding that he tended to make "fanciful and speculative" allegations in order to "get attention".

Lord Justice Richards and Mr Justice Keith reserved their decision on Mr Pinnington's challenge until an unspecified date.

5:24pm Friday 27th June 2008

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