THE TRIAL of a former teacher accused of sexually assaulting a string of young girls at an East Hampshire school during the 1970s has begun.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard yesterday (November 7) that 12 pupils, aged between eight and eleven, fell victim to Timothy Bleach while he was teaching at Weyford Junior School in Bordon.

The women who have made complaints against Mr Bleach of Rogate, Headley, and now Petersfield, were pupils at the school between September 1972 and December 1980.

Most of the alleged incidents, which include rape, took place in a classroom store cupboard that Mr Bleach converted and were part of a pattern of sexual activity.

The jury, which was sworn in on Monday morning, was told that one of the victims was even raped in Mr Bleach’s former family home in Rogate during lunchtime.

Mr Bleach (76), now of Hazel Walk, at Broadway Park off The Causeway in Petersfield, has denied 62 counts covering more than 100 incidents over an eight-year period.

The charges include gross indecency against children, indecent assault and possession of indecent images.

Kerry Maylin, prosecuting, said that Mr Bleach’s victims were assaulted in a variety of ways with many of the attacks taking place in the classroom during the school day.

She said: “He did it during the school day, he did it during extra school music lessons, he did it on the days when they were out of school.

“The majority of these offences all started with Mr Bleach grooming little girls. They began under the auspices of hearing them read or looking at work as they stood at his desk.

“Some of the girls were assaulted in a classroom store cupboard which doubled up as a dark room or music room. Others were assaulted during lessons, particularly music lessons, which were used as a cover for the abuse of little girls.”

The jury also heard that Mr Bleach was caught in the act by a school visitor during the early 1970s but the complaint was not followed up by the head teacher at the time.

The court also heard that Mr Bleach had “favourites” and often told victims he knew Gary Glitter.

The trial is expected to run for six weeks.