An Essex teacher accused of sexually assaulting two girls has been cleared by a jury.

Before Ipswich Crown Court was 63-year-old Brahmo Chellakootty, of Burdett Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, who formerly taught at a school in the Colchester area.

He denied three offences of sexual assault and one of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity but was cleared by a jury of all four offences.

During the trial the court heard that Chellakootty was arrested after a girl accused him of hugging and kissing her and another claimed he had touched her breasts and put his hand on her leg.

Joanne Eley, prosecuting, said one of the girls told her mother that Chellakootty had asked her for a hug and a kiss and had kissed her on the cheek.

The second alleged victim claimed Chellakootty had placed his elbow between her breasts and rested it there and had also put his hand on her thigh.

She claimed Chellakootty had also offered “to pleasure her” and had asked her if she liked the colour of his skin, making her feel uncomfortable.

Giving evidence, Chellakootty claimed the first alleged victim had innocently hugged him and given him a peck on the cheek and he had told her it was inappropriate.

He denied hugging the girl and saying: “May I give you a kiss?” and denied that she had kissed him because he had asked her for a kiss.

He denied getting as physically close as he could to the second girl and that he had deliberately rubbed his elbow between her breasts.

He said he may have accidentally grazed the girl’s thigh with his hand and had apologised.

He said he might have made a comment to her about the colour of his skin but denied asking her if she liked the colour of his skin.

He also denied saying anything about “pleasuring” her or saying he was “single and mature” after hearing her talking to a friend about liking mature boys.