GAIL Sherwood, a mother-of-three who falsely claimed to have been raped, has been found guilty of three counts of perverting the course of justice.

Sherwood, 52, of Yew Tree Way, Thrupp, twice claimed she had been raped and also accused a man of stalking her.

During a six week trial, Bristol Crown Court heard she had been found tied up and had also sent text messages to friends saying she was in trouble.

Sherwood told the court she had been stalked by a man with whom she had been involved in a minor road traffic collision on April 12, 2008.

This led to the arrest of the man, who was detained for 20 hours before being released without charge.

Next, Sherwood told police she was dragged into woods by a man with a weapon who then raped her as she returned to her car from walking her dogs at Haresfield Beacon on April 25, 2008.

On June 1, 2008, Sherwood claimed she was hit over the head, taken to a remote spot in the grounds of Nether Lypiatt Manor, the former home of Princess Michael of Kent, and raped.

On one occasion, she was found naked from the waist down with gaffer tape over her mouth and her hands tied behind her, the court heard.

A police helicopter located her half-naked behind a fence on another occasion.

In court, Sherwood said police had lied to her and had manipulated the evidence.

Police arrested Sherwood on June 18, 2008 after a covert camera disproved her claim of being kidnapped from her home on June 1.

Rather than being dragged from her house against her will, the video showed her calmly leaving her property by herself.

The court heard Sherwood, who has always maintained her innocence, told police in an interview how a man had called her mobile phone and then stalked her in his van through villages near Stroud.

On Friday, a jury found her guilty of all three counts of perverting the course of justice.

She was released on bail and will be sentenced on Thursday, March 4.

Speaking outside the court, Detective Chief Inspector Paul Shorrock, of Gloucestershire police, said: "Ms Sherwood has wasted significant police time and resources with these false allegations but what is most upsetting is the way a false claim such as this completely undermines those people whose lives have been devastated by genuine crimes of this nature."

Commenting on the verdict, a spokesman for Women Against Rape said: "We are shocked at today's verdict. Our belief in her innocence remains unshaken."