A MAN who was accused of hitting a stranger in the face and attempting to steal from him has been cleared by a jury.

Martin Bite, 23, was charged with one count of attempted burglary after James Walker was heading down Brook Street West on January 19 and punched by a stranger.

Mr Walker said a man started following him, asking if he ‘had things to give’ him, before striking him in the face.

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Bite, of no fixed abode, denied the allegation and claimed he was wrongly identified by Mr Walker.

On Thursday (November 9), a jury at Reading Crown Court cleared Bite of the charge.

Bite will be back in court next month however as he pleaded guilty to several counts of burglary not related to this incident.