A Hindu priest convicted of twice raping a temple-goer has launched an appeal to clear his name.

Ramanathan Somanathan, 42, of Colvin Road, Thornton Heath, was jailed for 12 years at Croydon Crown Court in February after he was convicted of two counts of rape.

But lawyers on his behalf told Lord Justice Kennedy, sitting with Mr Justice Bell and Mrs Justice Dobbs at the Appeal Court in London on Tuesday, that Somanathan's convictions were "unsafe" and should be overturned.

It was the prosecution case that Somanathan, the aya at the Sivaskanthagiri Arulmigu Murugan Temple, in Thornton Road, Thornton Heath, had forced himself on his victim when he went to her home to say prayers in 2002.

The next year he was accused of going to her house again and raping her a second time.

Mr Anthony Jennings, for Somanathan, told the Appeal Court the woman claimed, on the first visit, Somanathan began by behaving "improperly" towards her and asking her a number of personal questions.

She testified he told her he dreamed of her and that they had been married in a previous life, before raping her.

The woman said Somanathan then acted "as though nothing had occurred" and tried to persuade her she was his wife.

More than a year later, when Somanathan returned to her house to perform a blessing, the woman claimed he raped her again.

During the trial, however, "bad character evidence" relating to the alleged harassment of two other women by Somanathan was put before the jury by prosecuting lawyers.

This, Mr Jennings said, was introduced in an "attempt to establish a pattern of behaviour by Mr Somanathan".

However, the barrister argued the trial judge was "wrong to allow any of the bad character evidence to be adduced".

The Appeal Court judges have reserved their decision on Somanathan's appeal and will give their ruling at a later date.