A TRIAL has collapsed for a Watlington man who was accused of touching an 11-year-old girl in Didcot.

Raymond Shergold, 55, of Woodpecker Walk, Watlington, was arrested three years ago and pleaded not guilty to an allegation of sexual assault of a child under-13 in early 2021.

He was due to stand trial at Oxford Crown Court on Monday (August 5).

READ MORE: Scales of Justice: The latest cases from Oxford Magistrates' Court

However, the Crown Prosecution Service told the court they would officially be offering no evidence.

The decision was made on Friday evening (August 2) after a senior lawyer reviewed ‘the merits of the case’ and decided that no evidence would be put forward.

Mr Shergold did not attend court to hear the case being thrown out.

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