A former St Andrews University student is mounting a landmark civil case against a man cleared of raping her.

The woman - known only as Miss M for legal reasons - said she "felt let down by the criminal process" she had been through.

Miss M accused Stephen Coxen of raping her during freshers week' at the university in 2013.

Two years later, Coxen was found not proven of the crime at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Miss M is now suing him for £80,000, which he is contesting.

The case is thought to be the first of its kind in Scotland - and campaigners say many other rape victims are considering civil action as they feel let down by the criminal system.

Miss M told STV News: "The whole process - the criminal process - reporting it to the police, going to trial, it took nearly two years altogether and it was very difficult for me and my family.

"It's a shame that it takes people like me, other women and men who have been sexually assaulted and let down in the process, for something like this to be looked in to."

Last year, Denise Clair won a civil rape action against footballers David Goodwillie and David Robertson.

Unlike Coxen, they didn't face a criminal trial, but a judge in the civil court found the rapes had happened and awarded Ms Clair £100,000 in damages.

Miss M hopes her civil case will set a precedent for those who feel let down by the criminal courts in cases of sexual assault.

She insists the move is not about the money, as any compensation would probably be swallowed up by legal fees.

She said: "It's about getting closure, having someone acknowledge what has happened to me."