A GRANDMOTHER who was sexually assaulted by a shopper in a supermarket has condemned a police decision to give him a caution.

The retired grandmother-of-six was reaching for some biscuits on a top shelf in Tesco at Cowley Retail Park, Oxford, when she was groped from behind by a man.

The victim turned around and shouted at her attacker, but the man – who was holding a shopping basket in one hand – turned and fled.

The 59-year-old alerted the store manager but her attacker evaded security guards and ran out of the entrance and into the car park.

Police traced him later by checking CCTV footage and credit card payments, but have refused to reveal why no charges were brought.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, criticised police for issuing the man with a caution following the attack on Monday, November 23.

She said: “I was doing my shopping and he came up behind me and put his hands between my legs.

“I knocked his hand away and shouted, so he turned and ran.

“I knew he must still be in the store because he had a shopping basket.

“He walked from the tills to leave after paying, but when a security guard tried to stop him he just ran away. The store manager was telling me not to go to the police. I was in such shock I agreed.

“I think they didn’t want any publicity or problems.

“They went off and left me there. I was terrified he may still have been in the car park.

“I was a nervous wreck and in the end contacted the police.”

Police traced the 40-year-old man, who was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault.

He was handed a caution after attending St Aldate’s Police Station on Tuesday.

His victim added: “I want people to know he is still out there, but they won’t tell me his name.

“He’s admitted sexually assaulting me. He should have got a lot more than a caution.”

Thames Valley Police refused to comment on why the man was only cautioned.

Police spokesman Vicki Brandon said: “A 40-year-old man has been arrested and given a caution for sexual assault.”

The man has been placed on the sex offenders’ register for the next two years, Mrs Brandon added.

A Tesco spokesman refused to comment on why police weren’t called immediately, but added: “Our staff are trained to always contact the police should a criminal incident happen in one of our stores.

“In this incident we worked closely with the police to help their investigation.”