The Crown Prosecution Service has defended a decision to prosecute a man for failing to pay an escort girl but bring no charges against the woman herself.

Matthew Bushell (33) enjoyed a six-hour romp with Tracy Harper then admitted he could not afford to pay the agreed £720 bill.

Ms Harper, a mature student from Bradford, complained to police and Bushell was arrested.

He pleaded guilty before North Sefton Magistrates to dishonestly obtaining services, and was given a two-year supervision order and told to pay £65 costs.

No order for compensation to Ms Harper was made.

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said Ms Harper was not prosecuted because she had not technically broken the law.

He said: "The illegality in prostitution is the advertising of sexual services for money.

"In this case, the complainant agreed to provide her time to the defendant for £120 per hour.

"Whatever else was agreed was a private matter between the two parties, but the agreement he failed to honour was for her time, which is not prostitution and not illegal."

The spokesman added that the original court charge sheet, which referred to "dishonestly obtaining services, namely sexual favours", was not the charge put to the defendant in court.

According to the Liverpool Echo, Bushell met Ms Harper after responding to an advert.

She travelled from Bradford to Liverpool by train and went to Bushell's home in Southport for unprotected sex.

Afterwards, he offered to take her for a drink but abandoned her in a pub car park.

He later sent a text message which read: "Sorry Tracy. Had to do it. Did not have a penny at the time. Hope you got home safely."

The newspaper reported that Bushell had run up large debts during a two-year obsession with phone sex lines and escorts.

Bushell was unavailable for comment.