A woman has described feeling “utterly shocked” after former world speedway champion Michael Lee allegedly put his hand up her dress and touched her indecently at an end of season speedway presentation evening.

The woman, who had attended the event at Worlington Hall Hotel in November 2011 with her partner, told a jury at Ipswich Crown Court she had initially thought her boyfriend had touched her but when she turned round she saw Lee standing behind her “grinning and laughing”.

She said she had been wearing a dark blue dress over black leggings and felt Lee touch her between her legs over her leggings.

The woman, who gave her evidence from behind a screen, said her boyfriend had been “fuming” when she told him what had happened and they left.

She said as she was walking behind her partner holding his hand Lee had come up behind her and allegedly put his hand up her dress again.

She claimed this time she heard him say “nice thighs”.

The woman started to cry as she described being upset and shaken by the alleged assaults.

“I didn’t really know what to do. I was utterly shocked by it and I nervously laughed. I really regret I didn’t react differently,” she said.

Lee, 54, of Worlington, near Mildenhall, has denied two offences of sexually assaulting the woman between October 1 and December 31, 2011.

He has also denied an offence of anal rape and assault causing actual bodily harm on another woman in December 2012.

Charles Myatt, prosecuting, alleged that in December 2012 Lee had pushed a woman over in a toilet and pulled out a clump of her hair before trying to put a black bin bag over her head and allegedly raped her.

After his arrest in February last year Lee denied sexually assaulting the woman in the pub and said he had given her “ a friendly squeeze on the bottom.”

He denied assaulting or raping the other woman and described the allegations as “pure fabrication”.

Mr Myatt told the court that Lee had been a “highly successful”speedway rider in the 1980’s and had been world champion. The trial continues.