A FORMER Hampshire teacher and church youth leader accused of indecently assaulting a teenager more than 30 years ago has been found not guilty.

Michael McKenna, who was highly regarded in his community, was charged with six counts of historic sexual abuse between 1970 and 1977 when the girl was aged between 13 and 17.

But after a two week trial at Bournemouth Crown Court, the 72-year-old of Springfield Avenue, Holbury, was cleared of all those charges by the jury.

At the opening of the trial prosecutor Rebecca Fairbairn told the court that Mr McKenna, a former science teacher who taught at Applemore Technology College, had always denied the charges.

She said: “The defendant says of these allegations that none of them happened.”

The jury believed Mr McKenna and came back with a not guilty verdict.