MICHAEL BELL

ST NEOTS SHOP OWNER JAILED FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING VOLUNTEER

A shop owner has been jailed for sexually assaulting a volunteer and a customer at his premises.

Michael Bell owned a shop in Hardwick, South Cambridgeshire, and used the position to inappropriately touch a female volunteer several times between March and July 2021.

During the four-month period he would make regular sexual remarks and assaulted her several times, touching her body over clothing.

The 68-year-old also touched a customer inappropriately on August 6 this year, and the victim reported it to the police.

The 2021 incidents then came to light.

Bell, of High Street, Yelling, St Neots, denied all of the allegations but was found guilty of seven counts of sexual assault following a trial at Peterborough Crown Court in October.

He was sentenced at the same court on November 14 to two years in prison for each of the offences, to run concurrently.

In addition, he was issued an indefinite restraining order and a requirement to register with the police under the Sexual Offences Act for ten years.

DC Andy Watters said: "This type of behaviour should never be tolerated.

Women should be able to go to work and go into shops without fear of sexual predators.

I hope the sentence will reassure both the victims, and women everywhere, that this type of behaviour will never be accepted by police, and should always be challenged and reported."