Ex-soap star fondled me, says model

The woman, who was 19 years old at the time, was giving evidence on the first day of the trial of Linford, who appeared at Hull Crown Court under his real name, Lewis Smales.

Linford, 22, who played Lee Naylor in the ITV1 soap, denies one count of sexual assault.

Linford, who sat in the dock wearing a dark suit over a white shirt and a striped tie, was charged following an incident at the Pozition club in Hull, just before Christmas 2007.

The semi-professional model, who cannot be identified, was in tears as she told the jury how she had been chatting to Linford and his friend in a queue for a cashpoint inside the club. But she said the atmosphere changed after the actor became involved in an altercation with her male friend.

She said: "He came up from behind me. He put his face into my neck. He said 'I want to have sex with you' and he put his hand on my bum and he's tried putting his hand up my dress."

Wiping away tears, she said: "I hadn't provoked anything to do that and I was surprised and I was frightened for my safety."

The woman, who said she had some boxing training, described how she pushed Linford off but when he grabbed her hand she punched him. She told the jury how she punched him again after he persisted and then another girl, who had been pushed in the face by the defendant, poured a drink over him.

The woman, who was a student at the time, told the court how she had gone to the nightclub on the evening of December 22 after having three vodka, lime and lemonade drinks at three different Hull pubs. She said the incident happened at about midnight.

Robert Smith QC, defending Linford, put it to the woman she had told a series of lies to the police. He told her: "I want to make it clear to you I'm suggesting that you've made these allegations up." The case continues.