TWIN brothers have been cleared of jointly raping a woman in a pub bedroom after a jury was told they hated the sight of each other.

Pub boss Daryl Salt, 26, was also alleged to have raped a second victim 19 months later and to have suggested she have a threesome with his brother Thomas as well.

A trial heard claims Daryl Salt, former landlord of several pubs in York and Selby, falsely imprisoned both women and grabbed them by the neck – pressing the second one’s throat so hard she thought she was going to die.

But both brothers were cleared of all the charges by a jury at Teesside Crown Court following a six-week trial.

During the hearing, Daryl Salt maintained he and his brother were always at loggerheads and there was never any threesome with the first woman.

They sent each other unpleasant texts, and had a “hate-hate relationship”, the jury heard. Daryl Salt said he had barred Thomas from one of his pubs.

It was said that relations between the warring twins were so volatile their parents could not celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary because it would mean inviting both sons.

They had to spend Christmas Days in separate rooms and travel in different cars during a family funeral, it was said.

Of the first attack, Thomas Salt told the court there “was no truth whatsoever in the rape allegation let alone a threesome”.

Daryl Salt said the brothers had not got along since school and it was a coincidence they were living in the same place when the allegation was made.

The second attack was alleged to have happened at an address in York, where Daryl Salt was also accused of holding the woman captive. But he said he had taken the woman upstairs for her own safety because she had drunk too much and was making a fool of herself.

She injured her ankle on the way up but he denied hurting her or keeping her in the room.

He said the door was not locked and she could have left at any time.

At one stage, he was downstairs preparing potatoes for the following day. He also denied forcing the woman to have sex when she had sobered up.

Naked photos of the woman were later found on his phone but he said these were souvenir shots which he could have deleted any time before going to the police station.

Daryl Salt denied five charges of rape and two of false imprisonment involving both alleged victims.

Thomas Salt denied two of rape and one of sexual assault against the first woman.

The brothers, of Camela Lane, in Camblesforth, were cleared after six hours of jury deliberations.