The jury in the trial of an 88-year-old west Suffolk man accused of sexually abusing four girls has retired to consider its verdicts.

Before Ipswich Crown Court is Leonard Swallow of Peddars Close, Ixworth, who has denied two offences of rape, 18 offences of sexual assault, three offences of sexual activity with a child, three offences of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and two offences of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The offences, which relate to four alleged victims, are said to have been committed between 2010 and 2021.

It has been alleged during the trial that Swallow groomed the girls by giving them junk food, sweets, money, alcohol and cigarettes and provided an environment which was described as “every child’s dream” - including a trampoline and farm animals.

Swallow had also taken the girls, some of whom were described as “troubled”, to Pleasurewood Hills theme park outside of Lowestoft, said Kate Davey, prosecuting.

She alleged that Swallow had sexually assaulted one of the girls during games of hide and seek at his bungalow in the small west Suffolk village of Knettishall and had got another alleged victim to touch him sexually in his car on a shopping trip.

Miss Davey said that Swallow had allegedly told one of the girls that he wouldn’t let her go home if she didn’t do as she was told. and also said one of the girls would get into trouble if she told anyone what he had done.

She described his bungalow at as an “idyllic refuge” from the chaos of the girls lives and "every child’s dream”.

Giving evidence during the trial Swallow denied sexually abusing the girls.