Former speedway world champion Michael Lee put his hand up a woman’s dress and sexually assaulted her at an end-of-season speedway presentation evening, it has been alleged.

When the “shocked” woman turned round she allegedly saw Lee with a “large grin on his face and laughing”, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

The alleged victim had attended the event at a pub near Mildenhall with her partner and initially thought it was him touching her, said Charles Myatt, prosecuting.

He said she was shocked and didn’t know what to do when she realised that Lee was responsible for the alleged assault, said Mr Myatt.

She was anxious not to cause a scene and decided to leave but as she did so Lee allegedly came up behind her and did the same thing again and said she had “nice thighs”, said Mr Myatt.

He described the two alleged sexual assaults on the woman by Lee as “unwarranted and unasked for.”

Lee, 54, of Worlington, near Mildenhall, has denied two offences of sexual assault in 2011.

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

Mr Myatt 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 liner over her head.

He had then allegedly anally raped her, said Mr Myatt.

He said that following the alleged assault in the toilet the woman went to hospital after her hand swelled up.

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.

He said that in the 1990’s Lee had been convicted of producing and supplying cannabis following a police raid on his home. As a result of his court appearance he was ordered to do unpaid work in the community.

Before the start of the trial prospective jurors were asked if they or any members of their family were involved in Mildenhall or Ipswich speedway and if they had read Lee’s book: “Michael Lee Back From The Brink”.

The trial, which is expected to last around ten days, continues.