A TEENAGE girl was so terrified after being sexually assaulted in a Purton flat that she hid outside in bushes until police arrived.

The 14-year-old ran from the flat in the middle of the night after begging attacker Peter Franklin to let her go.

Franklin, 59, was left to look after the girl while her mother was unavoidably away. Magistrates in Chippenham heard yesterday that Franklin, of Reids Place, Purton, ushered his victim onto a sofa before striking up a conversation about sexual activities.

Prosecutor Lynn Swain said he started kissing the girl's neck while indecently assaulting her in the incident three days before Christmas.

Repeatedly begging Franklin to stop, the victim fought Franklin off and ran to a nearby phone box to call her father. Too frightened to return, she hid until police arrived.

Miss Swain said: "This was more than a trivial matter, this was a proper attempt that involved sexual activity with an underage girl."

Defence solicitor Steve Beale said Franklin knew the damaging affect his actions had on his family and the victim and accepted the assault left his victim in fear. Magistrates sent the case to Swindon Crown Court for sentencing. Franklin, who admitted a charge of indecent assault, is now a convicted sex offender and must inform police of any change in address within 14 days.

He was released on bail with conditions not to contact the victim or her family.